TRYPANOSOMA-RANGELI - EPIMASTIGOTE IMMUNOGENICITY AND CROSS-REACTION WITH TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI

Trypanosoma rangeli epimastigote components, able to elicit an immune response, were defined and compared with those found in Trypanosoma cr uzi epimastigotes. Using polyclonal antibodies against these parasites and immunoblotting analysis, an antigenic similarity index of 0.48 wa s found when anti-T. cruzi antibodies were used and 0.60 with anti-T. rangeli antibodies. Additionally, immunoblotting analyses using specif ic antibodies against a T. rangeli polypeptide eluted from polyacrylam ide gels confirm an antigen of 43 kDa as a specific marker for T. rang eli.