Laboratory diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection with direct and indirect diagnostic techniques.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection, common parasitic zoonoses, is an important cause of spontaneous abortion, mental retardation, encephalitis, ocular disease and death worldwide. Today the major diagnostic techniques for the toxoplasmosis are serological assays, but its have many limitations. Aim : The goal in this study is to improve the diagnostic accuracy of T. gondii infection, using direct (Real Time PCR) and indirect (IgM, IgA, IgG and IgG avidity) diagnostic techniques. Materials and Methods: In the period between 2007 and 2008, 96 non consecutive different clinical samples (38 blood, 40 amniotic fluids, 8 cerebrospinal fluids, 10 vitreous humors) and 96 sera have been studied simultaneously through molecular biology and serological techniques. Results: Direct and indirect diagnostic techniques used in this study for laboratory diagnosis of T. gondii infection were always concordant. Conclusions : The high correlation between direct and indirect diagnostic techniques exhibit that serologic techniques are accurate diagnostic assays as screening test in laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.