Leucocyte migration inhibition response to tissue antigens in asymptomatic individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

The direct leucocyte migration inhibition test was used to study 31 asymptomatic humans chronically infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and 23 normal uninfected controls. The antigenic preparations used were made from mouse and guinea-pig heart, skeletal muscle, kidney, liver and brain. Positive responses were found in the parasite-infected individuals to kidney, liver and brain antigen but not to antigen prepared from heart of skeletal muscle tissue. No correlation was found between T. cruzi antibody titres and migration index values to these various antigens. On the other hand, a positive correlation was only noted between the titres of tissue-reacting immunoglobulins and the migration indices induced by brain antigens: when titres of tissue-reacting immunoglobulins were elevated, less leucocyte migration inhibition was detected.