ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to detect the rate of Toxoplasma gondii infections and the coinfections in childbearing age women in Turkey accompanying using seroprevalence data from a multicenter hospital setting. METHODS: Overal, 17751 childbearing age women through 16-45 years were included to the study between 2004 and 2010. The clinical samples of the patients were collected from 16 hospitals and medical centers mostly from Istanbul and three other cities from Turkey. Enzyme immunoassay tests were performed in our central laboratory in Istanbul to investigate T. gondii with other TORCH infections or Epstein Barr virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and Human Immunodificiency virus as accompanying infections. RESULTS: Among the tested sera 1.34% of the women were IgM and 24.61% were IgG positive for T. gondii. The coinfection rate was 3.36% among the IgM positive patients. CMV, EBV, HCV and rubella were detected as coinfections. IgM seropositivities of those infection agents were accepted as acute infection. CMV and EBV were detected as 1.26% and HCV and rubella were detected as 0.42%. CONCLUSION: Turkish female population was found infected with T. gondii in high rates. Some of the seropositive patients also had accompanying CMV, EBV, HCV and rubella infections. Our aim was to detect Toxoplasma seropositivity and the accompanying infections with their rates. While coinfections worsen the situation unless they are detected, it is important to determine exact situation of the patient for the management of the therapy.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mycobacterial antigen MPB64 is a secretory protein specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. A lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (ICA) is a method used for the rapid differentiation of M. tuberculosis complex. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the performance of ICA in rapid differentiation of M. tuberculosis complex from 97 Mycobacterium species other than tuberculosis (MOTT), which are grown in Lφwenstein-Jensen and TK-selective (SLC) medium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed in our laboratory between January 2009 and January 2010. A total of 394 isolates consisting of reference strains of 34 M. tuberculosis from World Health Organization (WHO) collection, 97 different MOTT bacilli, 7 Mycobacterium bovis BCG substrains and total 256 clinical Mycobacterium isolates were tested by ICA, which is based on anti-MPB64 monoclonal antibodies. All the strains were inoculated onto a TK-SLC (selective) medium and Lowenstein-Jensen medium. TK-SLC is a new rapid mycobacterial culture medium that indicates mycobacterial growth by colour change. RESULTS: The growth of mycobacterial strains was observed in 10-12 days on TK-SLC medium. ICA test was performed in 15 minutes. All strains belonging to M. tuberculosis complex group were found positive and all MOTT species were found negative on ICA slides. The results were confirmed with nucleic acid amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for M. tuberculosis complex. CONCLUSION: With the additive effect of growth on TK-SLC medium in 10-12 days, the mycobacterial antigen MPB64 is a very useful and specific tool in rapid differentiation of M. tuberculosis and MOTT grown in culture.
