Toxoplasmosis in Immunocompromised Patients: Laboratory Diagnosis (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2013
Toxoplasmosis caused by the protozoon Toxoplasma gondii (Apicomplexa) is one of the most common widespread parasitic diseases worldwide and is one of the major opportunistic infections afflicting patients with advanced HIV infection. The primary infection in immunocompetent individuals, which is asymptomatic or accompanied by mild and non-specific symptoms in most cases, is usually followed by a lifelong latent infection. Any subsequent reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis due to severe immunodeficiency is manifested most often as cerebral toxoplasmosis. Since the mid-1980s this disease has been the focus of greatly increased attention and the circumstances of its pathogenesis and clinical and laboratory symptoms are relatively well known, whilst effective therapy and prophylaxis are available. 1 Nonetheless, little is known about the incidence and manifestations of primary T. gondii infection in HIV-infected individuals. 2 For this reason we decided to carry out a retrospective analysis of medical records pertaining to HIV-infected patients at the AIDS Center Prague in order to determine the incidence and laboratory and clinical characteristics of primary T. gondii infection. In this health care setting, a total of 1130 HIV-infected patients are followed up, representing approximately 65% of all diagnosed HIVinfected patients in the Czech Republic. 3 This study was possible thanks to many years of close cooperation between the AIDS
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2015
Toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients (ICPs). The definitive diagnosis relies on parasite DNA detection, but little is known about the incidence and burden of disease in HIV-negative patients. A 3-year retrospective study was conducted in 15 reference laboratories from the network of the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis, in order to record the frequency of Toxoplasma gondii DNA detection in ICPs and to review the molecular methods used for diagnosis and the prevention measures implemented in transplant patients. During the study period, of 31,640 PCRs performed on samples from ICPs, 610 were positive (323 patients). Blood ( n = 337 samples), cerebrospinal fluid ( n = 101 samples), and aqueous humor ( n = 100 samples) were more frequently positive. Chemoprophylaxis schemes in transplant patients differed between centers. PCR follow-up of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) patients was implemented in 8/15 c...
Toxoplasmosis in a patient who was immunocompetent: a case report
Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2011
Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that infects up to one-third of the world's population. Although this case is not the first of its kind, it is clinically important since it will help doctors keep a broad differential diagnosis in mind when attending to similar patients.
Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis in HIV/AIDS patients with Immunoblotting
Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic illness affecting humans. Reactivation of latent infection in HIV infected patients can cause encephalitis. Diagnosing the disease rests on serological methods. ELISA for IgG antibodies remains positive in most HIV-infected patients with toxoplasmosis while immunoblotting can predict the development of encephalitis. Immunodiagnosis by urine sample is easy and has been successfully tried in other parasitoses. So this study aimed at detection of antitoxoplasma antibodies by immunoblotting in sera and urine of HIV infected patients. In patients tested positive for antitoxoplasma IgG, the 97 kDa and 53 kDa antigenic bands were the most reactive in serum and urine respectively.These antigens can be purified and used for immunodiagnosis by ELISA and similar procedures to increase the specificity of diagnosis.
Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Serum of Suspected Patients Attending Medical Lab, in 2013
Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is Zoonoses among humans and animals with cosmopolitan distribution. Acquired form of the disease often has no symptoms or discomfort of swollen lymph nodes and associated Chorioretinitis. The congenital form of the disease is delivered via the placenta from mother to fetus. Congenital infection may cause abortion or damage to the central nervous system and eye disorders. The aim of this study was to determine toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiologyin serum of suspected patients referring to medical lab,in 2013. Materials and Methods: This study was cross- sectional. After physical examination, of the total cases 712 were diagnosed with suspected toxoplasmosis infection,and were referred for evaluation of serological diagnostic laboratories. serum samples were collected from patients' in the laboratory using kits of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Chorus Toxoplasma IgG, IgM antibodies were tested by ELISA method. Data on age, sex and time of the visit and laboratory test results were recorded in the Czech list, and then were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: From 712 sera tested, 649 (91.2%) were female while 63 ((8.8% were male. 171 (24.3%) of the antibody IgG and 25 ((3.5% in terms of IgM in serum were positive. In sex -wise distributed groups 159 female (93%)) and 12 male (7%) tested positive for IgG . and, 24 female(96%)) and 1 male (4%) were IgM positive. Most positive tests(9.5% ) were observed in the group aged over 50 years.whereas The lowest percentage of positive tests were in the group with age less than 20 years (20%) and the highest was observed in patients above 60 years (8/47 percent). Conclusion: As a general conclusion, it can be stated that the frequency of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in toxoplasmosis, in the suspected-to-have toxoplasmosis and control groups were not statistically significant. Also, we can conclude that abortion is involved in the development of chronic toxoplasmosis.
Use of a monoclonal antibody and a DNA probe for diagnosing acute toxoplasmosis in ambiguous cases
Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1994
An unusual case of cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV negative 11 year old child is reported. Central nervous system disease was assessed immunohistochemically in a brain biopsy specimen with TgP8-a specific monoclonal antibody against Toxoplasma gondii antigens-thus confirming IgG and IgM serology, technetium scan findings, and clinical data. In addition, an active parasitaemia was confirmed by DNA in situ hybridisation assay in white cells using an ABGTg4 probe. The child recovered after specific T gondii treatment. Follow up six months later showed that he was immunodeficient.
Latent and Reactivated Toxoplasma Gondii Infection in HIV-Infected Patients in Albania
2015
Toxoplasmosis, which is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections of humans and warm blooded animals. The Toxoplasma Encephalitis (TE) is one of the most frequent opportunist infections and as a consequence the most important cause of cerebral focal lesions in HIV/AIDS patients, because of the reactivation of the latent infection. Purpose: To provide data on the prevalence of Toxoplazmosis in HIV/AIDS patients hospitalized and followed in our outpatient clinic and Infectious Diseases Service and to recognize the clinical, preclinical, therapeutic features of cases. Materials and methods: From 157 subjects with HIV/AIDS who were filled with ELISA IgM/IgG T.gondii antibodies, we studied 92 cases which had the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG. Results: The seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in HIV patients in our study resulted 58.59%. In 92 positive cases for IgG antibodies, 33.69% were females and 66.30% were males. We found that the most number of patien...
Pulmonary and Renal Toxoplasmosis in an Immunocompetent Adult Patient
Journal of Medical Cases
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which is one of the most widespread zoonotic pathogens known today. It is a global health hazard as they infect 30-50% of the world's human population. Acute toxoplasmosis is usually asymptomatic and self-limited in immunocompetent people, recovering without treatment and do not require specific therapy. Therefore, rare complications are associated with infection in the individuals with normal immune systems. However, we present a rare case of an immunocompetent man with acute T. gondii infection confirmed by serology, subsequently presented with two life-threatening organ dysfunctions: severe renal and pulmonary involvement, requiring hospitalization and anti-parasitic treatment.