Antibody-independent, natural resistance of birds to Trypanosoma cruzi infection
Kierszenbaum, F.; Gottlieb, C.A.; Budzko, D.B.
Journal of Parasitology 67(5): 656-660
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3395 PMID: 6795329 Document Number: 170369
Complement (C) activity present in normal human serum has been reported to lyse circulating forms of T. cruzi following activation by specific host antibodies bound to the surface of the parasites. In view of this observation, the authors examined the possibility that a similar phenomenon may cause lysis of T. cruzi by avian complement, a mechanism postulated to be responsible for the natural resistance of birds to T. cruzi infection and previously described as being antibody independent. Trypomastigote forms of T.cruzi grown either in lethally irradiated mice or in cell cultures were lysed readily by the sera of agammaglobulinemic chickens. The results emphasize the lack of requirement of antibodies for, and the important role of complement in both the natural resistance that birds exhibit against T. cruzi infection and the lytic activity displayed by avian serum on virulent forms of T. cruzi .