[Use of immunosuppressed mice in an attempt to improve the diagnosis of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi].

In order to demonstrate low level parasitemias of Trypanosoma cruzi, a procedure based on the pharmacologic development of immunosuppression and subsequente innoculation of a test blood specimen was evaluated in mice. Prednisone was effective for the procedure and my be considered for diagnosis and for clinical and laboratorial follow-up of patients with Chagas'disease, submitted to heart transplantation. However, prednisone effectiveness depended from the level of parasitemia.