Searching for anti-trv antibodies in Chagas’ disease patients – a preliminary immunoscreening study

LANÇA, A, S; AGIRRE, J; MARTI, G. A; ROZAS-DENNNIS, G; DE CASTRO, A, M; GUERIN, D.M.A.; ESPINOZA GUTIÉRREZ, B; SOUSA SILVA, M

Lisboa, Portugal

Workshop; I Iberoamerican Workshop on Chagas Disease, Triatomine vectors, T. cruzi, and Triatoma virus; 2010

Centro de Malária e Outras Doenças Tropicais (UCDT/CMDT) Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of anti-TrV antibodies in patients serologically positive to Tryponosoma cruzi (Chagas’ disease). The working hypothesis is that individuals with Chagas’ disease could be exposed to Triatoma virus, when the insects responsible for transmitting the disease were simultaneously infected with both Trypanosoma cruzi and Triatoma Virus. We developed and optimized an immunoassay (ELISA) for detection of anti-TrV antibodies in mice immunization with TrV empty particles (RNA-free). Then, we started the optimization process of an ELISA assay for titration anti-TrV antibodies in chagasic patients from Mexican (n=5) and Brazil (n=50). These results suggest that these sera have antibodies that recognize components of TrV. However, some serum samples from patients originate from Portugal (n= 7) and from Cuba (n= 12), all negative for Chagas's disease, also showed reactivity to TrV. These results advocate the possibility that components of the TrV imply cross-reactivity with other naturally occurring human viral infections. For better understanding this information, it becomes necessary to increase the sampling of the sera (negative and positive sera for Chagas). Also, It will be necessary to run immunoblotting tests to identify components of TrV most likely responsible for such serological reactivity. Financial support: CYTED-RedTrV, Gobierno Vasco (Spain), and CMDT/IHMT (Portugal).