CELLULAR IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO COMMON MYCOBACTERIAL ANTIGENS IN SUBJECTSSEROPOSITIVE FOR TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI

The immune response is impaired in the silent stage of Chagas' disease . We used quadruple skin-testing with new tuberculins in 37 adults who were symptom-free but seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi and in 37 ma tched seronegative controls. Whereas 19% of controls responded to comm on mycobacterial antigens, none of the Chagas' seropositive group resp onded to them (p<0.006), demonstrating specificity in their unresponsi veness. The enhanced tuberculin reactivity after BCG vaccination in th e control group was suppressed in seropositive subjects (p<0.002). Sel ective loss of response to common mycobacterial antigens may have impl ications for the autoimmune pathology of Chagas' disease, and for susc eptibility to tuberculosis, leprosy, and HIV disease.