Monoclonal antibodies mediating viable immunofluorescence and protection against Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Both humoral and cell mediated immunity have been associated with protection against Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Antibody mediated protection has been associated with a particular functional type of antibody, as detected by viable immunofluorescence (VIF), which is able to bind to living trypomastigotes, and is produced during infection but not following immunisation with killed parasites. We have generated B cell hybridomas from mice infected with T. cruzi and screened these hybridomas for VIF mediating antibodies. In this paper we describe two such monoclonal antibodies which are able to provide substantial protection when administered passively prior to challenge infection.