Toxoplasma gondii infection among chronic hepatitis C patients: a case-control study

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the detection rate of anti-Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) IgG and IgM in chronic HCV patients attending the Department of Tropical Medicine Mansoura University hospital in Egypt.@*METHODS@#This study included 120 adult chronic HCV patients, 81 decompensate cirrhosis (late-stage) and 39 chronic HCV non cirrhotic patients (early-stage) and 40 healthy blood donors as controls. Serum samples were examined for anti-Toxoplasma IgM and anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by ELISA. Real-time RT-polymerase chain reaction assay was done for quantitation of hepatitis C virus.@*RESULTS@#Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 75 (92.6%) of 81 late-stage cirrhotic patients, 30 (76.9%) of the 39 chronic HCV non cirrhotic patients (early-stage) and in 6 (15%) of 40 controls with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in 11 (13.6%) in late stage patients, 5 (12.8%) in early stage and in 3 (7.5%) of controls with no statistical significant difference (P=0.610). There was no correlation between stage of fibrosis and IgM or IgG antibodies positivity in our studied groups (P=0.526). High IgG levels significantly correlated with high viral load (P=0.026).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings suggest that the serious opportunistic T. gondii infection represent a potential significant risk for chronic HCV patients. So, toxoplasmosis should be considered in their investigations and follow-up.