| Summary: | This study focuses on developing accurate immunoassays for diagnosing Chagas disease (CD), a challenging task due to antigenic similarities between <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> and other parasites, leading to cross-reactivity. To address this challenge, chimeric recombinant <i>T. cruzi</i> antigens (IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4) were synthesized to enhance specificity and reduce cross-reactivity in tests. While these antigens showed minimal cross-reactivity with leishmaniasis, their performance with other trypanosomatid infections was unclear. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of these IBMP antigens for detecting CD in patients with <i>Crithidia</i> sp. LVH-60A, a parasite linked to visceral leishmaniasis-like symptoms in Brazil. This study involved seven <i>Crithidia</i> sp. LVH-60A patients and three <i>Leishmania infantum</i> patients. The results indicated that these IBMP antigens displayed 100% sensitivity, with specificity ranging from 87.5% to 100%, and accuracy values between 90% and 100%. No cross-reactivity was observed with <i>Crithidia</i> sp. LVH-60A, and only one <i>L. infantum</i>-positive sample showed limited cross-reactivity with IBMP-8.1. This study suggests that IBMP antigens offer promising diagnostic performance, with minimal cross-reactivity in regions where <i>T. cruzi</i> and other trypanosomatids are prevalent. However, further research with a larger number of <i>Crithidia</i> sp. LVH-60A-positive samples is needed to comprehensively evaluate antigen cross-reactivity.
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