OBJECTIVE. In Bolivia the Chagas disease is endemic. It's possible that disease may be cause of death in AIDS patients and we study this parasitic disease in these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Frozen serum of 42 AIDS patients (death) and 23 HIV infected, were tested by ELISA test for antigens and antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, were used microplates (ORGANON TEKNIKA) fixed with antibodies of guinea pigs against to T. cruzi (ELISA Sandwich for capture to antigen), and indirect ELISA for IgG antibodies to T. cruzi, the conjugate N.R.P. and substrate OPD (SIGMA ST.LOUIS-USA) were used for the cromogenic reaction. The sera were tested twice and read in the NK LABSYSTEMS READER at 492 nm. RESULTS. The results were: TABULAR DATA, SEE ABSTRACT VOLUME. Four AIDS patients had free antigen (T. cruzi) and 6 HIV infected with antibodies to T. cruzi. CONCLUSION. The positives for T. cruzi were from endemic zones of Chagas disease, and AIDS possibly were the cause of death. In Bolivia is difficult to know the opportunistic infections because is not possible to realize the studies and necropsy and this assay may be useful.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/ MORTALITY Animal Antibodies, Protozoan/ANALYSIS Antigens, Protozoan/ANALYSIS Bolivia/EPIDEMIOLOGY Cause of Death Chagas Disease/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/MORTALITY Human IgG/ANALYSIS Opportunistic Infections/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/MORTALITY Trypanosoma cruzi/IMMUNOLOGY ABSTRACT

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