Trypanosoma cruzi: biological characterization of 19 clones derived from two chronic chagasic patients. I. Growth kinetics in liquid medium.

Nineteen clones of Trypanosoma cruzi were obtained as single-cell isolates from Triatoma infestans. Ten of the clones were isolates from a patient with Chronic Chagas' disease; nine clones were isolates from a dog infected with T. cruzi strain CA-I isolated originally from a chronic chagasic patient. The growth kinetics and peak modal Coulter volume of these clones were characterized. Significant inter- and intra-group differences between growth rates and peak modal volumes were found. These data indicate that subpopulations and, consequently, genetic heterogeneity of T. cruzi exist in chronic chagasic patients. All of the clones infected vertebrate cells in vitro.