Trypanosoma congolense bloodstream forms evade complement lysis in vitro by shedding of immune complexes.

In the presence of antibodies against the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and guinea pig complement, Trypanosoma congolense bloodstream forms were lysed. Parasites, which had been preincubated with antibodies at 37 degrees C before addition of complement, escaped from complement lysis in a time- and temperature-dependent process. Preincubation caused removal of the antibodies from the cell surface by formation of filopodia and accumulation of the immune complexes between aggregated cells. Addition of secondary antibodies or of complement component C1q did not enhance this effect. In order to eliminate effects due to cell aggregation, single living trypanosomes, which had been immobilized by attachment to formvar-coated glass slides, were incubated under equivalent conditions. Immunofluorescence showed that in these experiments, anti-VSG antibodies were neither capped nor shed from the surface unless coincubation with secondary antibodies or C1q was performed. Fixation of the cells after incubation with anti-VSG prevented patching and capping of the antibodies. Removal of immune complexes apparently required no secondary cross-linker: removal from the surface of T. congolense obviously occurred during cell aggregation. This mechanism could therefore be of significance also in vivo.