FIG. 9.
Cytokine production in ConA-stimulated cultures of splenocytes from chronically infected mice subjected to different parasite loads at the acute phase of T. cruzi infection. Mice were infected with 103 (low dose) or 105 (high dose) parasites and treated at day 6 with benznidazole. One year after infection, spleen cell suspensions were cultured with ConA, and the 24- to 72-h supernatants were tested by capture ELISA. (A to D) Peak production for IFN-γ (A), IL-4 (B), IL-2 (C), and IL-10 (D). (E) Correlation between IFN-γ and IL-4 production by parasitemia-positive chronically infected mice. (F) IL-10 production by parasitemia-negative and -positive mice. Each bar represents the mean ± standard error of individual values from 10 or 11 mice. ∗, P < 0.05 compared with the control group; #, P < 0.1 compared with the control group; ∗∗∗, P < 0.05 compared with the low-dose group.