Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi during pregnancy in rats and a decreased in chronic myocardial lesions in their infected offspring

DÁVILA H; REVELLI S; MORENO H; VALENTI J; MUSSO O; POLI H; MORINI J; BOTTASSO O; BOTTASSO OSCAR

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE

AMER SOC TROP MED & HYGIENE

Lugar: Atlanta EEUU; Año: 1994 vol. 50 p. 506 - 511

0002-9637

There is consensus thatstimulation of the pregnant host with various immunologic elements, i.e.,cells, antigens and antibodies, imprints important modifications on the immuneresponse later developed by offspring (9,10). Therefore, elucidating thepotential influence that T.cruzi infection in mothers may have on theoutcome of this trypanosomal disease in their young may help to get a betterinsight on some aspects of the natural course of this infection in themammalian host.To pursue this, a series of experimental studies were recentlyconducted in our laboratory. First experiments were performed by infecting ratmothers during gestation. It was found that maternal infection, which was notaggravated by pregnancy, had no protective effect on the acute disease inducedin their young but did reduce the prevalence of focal myocarditis duringchronic infection