Trypanosoma cruzi culture used as vaccine to prevent chronic Chagas' disease in mice.

The development of chronic pathology in mice at 2 to 10 months after inoculation of 10(2) T. cruzi trypomastigotes can be prevented by preimmunization with live, attenuated culture parasites (strain TCC). Swiss mice received one or three immunizing inoculations of 10(6) TCC organisms and were challenged with 10(2) Tulahuén blood trypomastigotes. Control groups received only the immunizing or the challenge inoculations. Immunized groups as compared with nonimmunized controls had lower mortality rates at 2 months postchallenge (9% versus 23%; P = 0.059), lower early peaks of parasitemia, lower percentages of positive xenodiagnoses at 5.5 months (40 versus 80%; P = 0.061), and lower incidences of tissue lesions in the skeletal muscle (P less than 0.005) at 2,6, and 10 months postchallenge. Tissue lesions in the heart and smooth muscle were also reduced, reaching statistical significance after 10 months (P less than 0.02). Chronic pathology parameters were never enhanced in preimmunized groups. In spite of the putative role that autoimmunity may play in the development of chronic chagasic lesions, the preventive effect of vaccination is readily exerted upon the chronic murine model of Chagas' disease.