Evaluación de la posible reactividad de anticuerpos contra la hemaglutinina del virus de la influenza con moléculas de invasión del tripanosoma cruzi

Chagas´ disease, is a parasitic sickness caused by the hemoflagelate Trypanosoma cruzi, who is increasing in importance in our country. It is believed that about 1.6 million Colombians are affected buy this disease. It is transmitted by arthropods of the family Reduviidae and in Colombia, the most prevalent is Rhodnius prolixus. The importance of the present study relies in the great morbidity and mortality caused by the chronic pathologic process, which is principally manifested as dilated cardiomiopathy, and enlargement of diverse components of the digestive tract. At the present there is no effective vaccine for the disease. The present study intended to evaluate the possible cross- reaction between antibodies raised against viral influenza hemaglutinin and T. cruzi´s transialidase, based on apparent similarities of both molecules, which are principally, the capacity to recognize molecules of sialic acid, both are trimers, and the similarities in aminoacidic sequences located in the catalitic portions. The study used five Balb/c mice, to be vaccined with 3 m gms of three different influenza virus hemaglutinins. Reactivity was measured with Dot-Blot and indirect immunofluorescence techniques, the parasites used were of the Tulahuen class. Results where contradictory for both methods, as being positive for Dot-Blot, but negative for the indirect immunofluorescence. We recommend further studies with more sensitive methods to analyze these results. La enfermedad de Chagas, es una enfermedad parasitaria producida por el hemoflagelado Trypanosoma Cruzi, que goza de una importancia creciente en nuestro medio. Se calcula que hay unos 1.6 millones de colombianos afectados por la enfermedad. Es transmitida por artrópodos de la familia Reduviidae y en Colombia el más importante es el Rhodnius prolixus. La importancia en el estudio de esta patología radica en la gran morbimortalidad de la forma crónica de la enfermedad, que se manifiesta principalmente cómo una miocardiopatía dilatada, y con dilatación de diversos componentes del aparato digestivo. Actualmente no se posee vacuna efectiva contra el parásito. El presente estudio pretendía evaluar la posibilidad de una reacción cruzada entre anticuerpos contra la hemaglutinina del virus de la influenza y la transialidasa de T. Cruzi, basándonos en la aparente similitud entre ambas moléculas, que radica principalmente en la capacidad de reconocer moléculas de ácido siálico, ser trímeros con un tallo central, y la simil