Purification of a specific antigen of Trypanosoma cruzi from culture forms.

A monospecific rabbit antiserum was prepared against a specific component of Tryanosoma cruzi epimastigote culture forms (designated antigen 5). Rabbits were immunized intradermally in 30-50 sites with the zone of agarose gel in which the component 5:anti-5 complex was visualized after two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis. With this appropriate antiserum and the total epimastigote soluble extracts, the specific component of T. cruzi was purified by immunoadsorption. Purity and specificity controls of thefinal product were carried out by prolonged immunization of rabbits, and then by immunoelectrophoretic and two-dimensional electrophoretic analyses.