Effect of the Tc 13Tul antigen from Trypanosoma cruzi on splenocytes from naïve mice

TASSO, LAURA MÓNICA; BRUBALLA, ANDREA CECILIA; GARAVAGLIA, PATRICIA ANDREA; ESTEVA, MÓNICA INÉS; ALBAREDA, MARÍA CECILIA; GARCÍA, GABRIELA ANDREA

PARASITOLOGY

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Año: 2020 p. 1 - 39

0031-1820

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, releases factors, includingantigens from the trans-sialidase (TS) superfamily, which modulate the host immuneresponses. Tc13 antigens belong to group IV of TSs and are characterized by C-terminalEPKSA repeats. Here, we studied the effect of the Tc13 antigen from the Tulahuén strain,Tc13Tul, on primary cultures of splenocytes from naïve BALB/c mice. RecombinantTc13Tul increased the percentage of viable cells and induced B (CD19+) lymphocyteproliferation. Tc13Tul stimulation also induced secretion of non-specific IgM andinterferon-gamma (IFN-. The same effects were induced by Tc13Tul on splenocytes fromnaïve C3H/HeJ mice. In vivo administration of Tc13Tul to naïve BALB/c mice increasednon-specific IgG in sera. In addition, in vitro cultured splenocytes from Tc13Tul-inoculatedmice secreted a higher basal level of non-specific IgM than controls and the in vitroTc13Tul stimulation of these cells showed an enhanced effect on IgM and IFN- secretion.Our results indicate that Tc13Tul may participate in the early immunity in T. cruzi infectionby favoring immune system evasion through B-cell activation and non-specific Ig secretion.In contrast, as IFN- is an important factor involved in T. cruzi resistance, this may beconsidered a Tc13Tul effect in favor to the host.