Group 0 Rh negative human erytrocytes were coated with the semipurified fraction of T. cruzi proteinase and tested with sera both from patients with chagas' disease and from others with unrelated parasitic diseases. Positive haemagglutination reactions were only observed with the sera from the former and with that from two patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. No crossed reactions were observed with visceral leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis syphilis, schistosomiasis or mononucleosis sera. Results suggest that this purified fraction can be used in immunodiagnosis of American Trypanosomiasis.
Trypanosomiasis, South American; Trypanosoma cruzi; Peptide peptidohydrolases
