FIG 1.

T. cruzi causes systemic arteritis late after infection in C57BL/6J mice. (A and B) Paresis/paralysis and survival were monitored over time. Paresis/paralysis refers to the posterior limbs. For panels A and B, 60 and 43 infected mice, respectively (closed circles), and 10 uninfected age-matched control mice (closed squares) were monitored. For panel A, P = 0.0003; for panel B, the curves are not statistically significantly different (log rank test). (C) Representative H&E-stained sections of quadriceps muscles from a chronically infected mouse and an age-matched uninfected control. Arrow, normal arteriole. Images are representative of groups of 12 infected and 8 uninfected mice tested at 7 to 12 months p.i. The prevalence (D) and severity (E) of vasculopathy in mouse organs are indicated by graphs. The severity scoring system was based on the percentage of vessels with lesions, as follows: 0, no lesions; 1, 1 to 30%; 2, 31 to 60%; and 3, 61 to 100%. Abbreviations: Pc, pancreas; Ht, heart; Kd, kidney; LI, large intestine; Md, mediastinum; SI, small intestine; SkM, skeletal muscle; Tt, testis. Data were pooled from two independent experiments, with a total of 11 to 25 animals, at 7 to 15 months p.i.