Mice vaccinated with CL-14, a non-infective and non-pathogenic clone isolated from
Trypanosoma cruzi CL strain, become protected against lethal challenge by infective trypomastigotes. It has been shown that animals infected
with
T. cruzi show polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes with an early production of several non-specific immunoglobulins. Vaccinated
mice, however, have an early production of antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2b. Considering the lack of infectivity of CL-14,
our data strongly suggest a role for IgG1 and IgG2b in protection to
T. cruzi.
Received: 6 July 1997 / Accepted: 24 September 1997