Opsonization and intracellular killing of toxoplasma gondii by human mononuclear phagocytes

ABSTRACT

This study demonstrated that tachyzoites in the presence of antitoxoplasma antibodies with complement were detected in 39 - 58% of monocytes that had phagocytosed them and the mean number of Toxoplasma tachyzoites in this group was significantly low at 1 hour post- infection, while only 10 - 25% of monocytes phagocytosed Toxoplasma tachyzoites in absence of antibodies and complement with significant high number of replicated tachyzoites. This indicated that specific antibodies had a strong opsonizing action. Complement alone was weak in increasing the phagocytic activity