Immunocytochemical reaction of sera from chagasic patients against Trypanosoma cruzi, intestine of Triatoma infestans and normal human heart

Chagas disease has been considered by some authors as an autoimmune patholo gy and denied by others. In this paper we present by means of immunocytoche mical reactions with sera of chagasic patients, evidence in favor of the pr esence of similar antigens in the parasite, vector and non chagasic human h eart. The immunocytochemical technique used permits the localization by ele ctron microscopy of the antigens in the peritrophic membrane of the parasit e and basement membranes of the vector's midgut and of the myosin band of t he normal human heart. These observations support the assumption of an auto immune response in Chagas disease.