Immunity in African trypanosomiasis

In this review of current knowledge and research on the immunological responses in African trypanosomiasis, the author deals with the non-specific constitutional resistance of man and animals to trypanosomes; the results of research on specific adaptive immunity developed during and after illness and the demonstration of protective antibody; some promising results that have been achieved in attempts at vaccination; the effect of immunity on chemotherapy; the antigenic structure of trypanosome strains; the use of various serological tests in diagnosis and the application of immunochemistry to trypanosomiasis serology.In his conclusions, he suggests that more modern techniques should be used in serological investigations to solve the problem of the difference between cyclically and mechanically transmitted strains and that of relapse strains. It is also important to determine whether relapse strains are transmitted cyclically by flies without any antigenic change. Further studies are needed on the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs of trypanosomes mechanically and cyclically transmitted. Finally, the author suggests that more research be conducted on various methods of immunization with killed and with living vaccines.