Tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF] in human toxoplasmosis

ABSTRACT

Twenty-eight female patients [12 of them had obstetric troubles] and 17 healthy controls were the subjects in this work. According to IHA test and detection of IgM antibodies, three groups of patients were defined group [I], patients with acute infection; group [II], patients with chronic infection and had high antibody titer and group [III], patients with chronic infections and had low antibody tine. Sera from patients as well as controls were tested for their level of immunologically reactive TNP-alpha using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. TNF-alpha levels in the sera of patients were significantly higher as compared to the healthy control group. Acute infection was associated with the highest levels of TNP- alpha, indicating that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute infection. In chronic infection, the level of TNF-alpha was correlated with IHA antibody titer, suggesting that antibodies against T. gondii may participate in TNF-alpha production