Concerted action of perforin and granzymes is critical for the elimination of Trypanosoma cruzi from mouse tissues, but prevention of early host death is in addition dependent on the FasL/Fas pathway.

CTL and NK cells are critical for resistance to acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection, but are also implicated in the pathology induced by this intracellular protozoan parasite. Here we explore to what extent the two main cytolytic pathways of CTL and NK cells, i.e.