Role of T lymphocytes in the resistance and immunopathology of experimental Chagas' disease. I. Histopathological studies.

The results reported here show that Trypanosoma cruzi can parasitize almost all tissues of mice; however, the T-dependent immune response controls parasite invasion, leading undesirable immunopathological effects. Inflammatory infiltrate was rare in heart or skeletal muscle and other organs of Nu/Nu, but was abundant in tissues of Nu/+ mice. Cellular inflammatory lesions could be induced in Nude mice by the transfer of lymph node cells from Nu/+ animals infected with T. cruzi.