Frequency of Toxoplasma gondii in pork meat in Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular obligate parasite. Its transmission has usually been attributed to ingestion of undercooked or raw meat. The frequency of T. gondii in pork, the most common meat for human consumption in Jalisco, Mexico, is unknown; in Guadalajara city high prevalence of human toxoplasmosis has been documented. Forty-eight samples of pork meat from butcher shops in Ocotlán city were analyzed. Through bioassay, 50 g of tissue was homogenized in an acidic pepsin solution and inoculated subcutaneously to previously immunosuppressed mice. Blood samples from the mice tail vein were obtained before inoculation and 7, 14, 28, and 45 days postinoculation to analyze anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibody kinetics by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For histopathology, small fragments of the brain, lungs, heart, and skeletal muscle were extracted on day 45 and were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Also, DNA was extracted from the pork meat for PCR amplification of the B1 gene. Even though all pork samples were negative by histopathology and PCR, IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 1 of the 48 inoculated mice, reflecting a frequency of 2.1% positive pork meat, which is lower than expected but similar to that found in other regions.

Nitazoxanide in the treatment of Ascaris lumbricoides in a rural zone of Colima, Mexico.

Intestinal parasites in Mexico are an endemic problem. A study was conducted in children, teenagers and adults in a rural community in Colima, Mexico to examine the prevalence and intensity of Ascaris lumbricoides infection and to evaluate the parasitological and clinical efficacy of nitazoxanide (NTZ). Two hundred and eighty children, teenagers and adults participated in this study. Parasitological diagnosis from faeces was confirmed by three consecutive stool samples using the floatation concentration Faust method. Egg counts were performed as described by the Kato-Katz technique before and after treatment. A questionnaire was systematically applied to obtain information about socio-economic status and hygienic habits. One hundred and six participants (38%) were diagnosed as harbouring intestinal parasites, and 86 of them (81%) were infected with A. lumbricoides. All patients with ascariasis infections underwent a complete physical examination before and after NTZ treatment. NTZ resolved 88% of the ascariasis cases, with a 89% clinical efficacy, and there was a 97.5% reduction in the levels of morbidity. The most intense infections for A. lumbricoides were found in housewives, and statistically significant associations were found between ascariasis and the absence of drainage and living in houses with dirt floors.

Acute infection of Toxoplasma gondii and cytomegalovirus reactivation in a pediatric patient receiving liver transplant.

A 7-year-old Mexican boy with end-stage cirrhosis underwent liver transplantation and was maintained with cyclosporine and prednisolone. No specific data about Toxoplasma gondii or cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in the cadaver donor were available. The recipient was seronegative for Toxoplasma, but CMV-IgG positive before transplantation. Ganciclovir was administered for prophylaxis during 3 months, but 5 months later he presented with icterus and increased transaminases. Acute transplant rejection was ruled out by biopsy. A seroconversion for T. gondii IgM and IgG and a small increase in CMV-IgM antibodies were observed, although the CMV-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative. Ganciclovir was re-started, and the patient improved, but 6 months later he relapsed, and chorioretinitis lesions compatible both with T. gondii and CMV infections appeared. Pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, folinic acid, and ganciclovir were administered. The boy showed favorable clinical improvement and remained stable for 12 months. Then, new retinal CMV lesions appeared in both eyes and the PCR for CMV became positive; therefore, the patient received a new regimen of ganciclovir, and clinically improved. From these data we concluded that the child presented a reactivation of CMV and a primary infection with T. gondii after transplantation.

Presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in humans and their cats in the urban zone of Guadalajara.

Cats are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. Infected cats excrete oocysts in their feces, infecting humans and other animals. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in cat owners and their pets, and determine if there was a relationship between Toxoplasma infection and humans who live with infected cats. IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in sera of 59 cat owners were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in 24 sera from their cats, IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies were found using Burney's ELISA. Thirty-eight (64%) of 59 cat owners were positive to IgG anti-Toxoplasma. Seropositivity for cats was 70.8% IgG, 8.3% IgM, and 62.5% IgA. Cohabitation with cats infected by T. gondii, feeding with leftovers or raw viscera, and lack of control over how their feces were handled are risk factors conducive for humans to become infected by T. gondii.

Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii antigens with sera from toxoplasmosis patients.

Some proteins of the Toxoplasma gondii are recognized by IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies in patients with acute and chronic toxoplasmosis, depending on the strain and stage of the Toxoplasma. Sixty-nine sera from immunocompetent individuals were studied through the Western-Blot Test: 20 has an acute infection, 29 has a chronic toxoplasmosis infection and 20 were healthy (seronegatives). The protein analysis revealed by IgG and IgM antibodies were performed through the immunoplot method in order to know their recognition frequency (f) and be valued as infection markers. In the acute phase, the IgM antibodies showed a recognition frequency (f = 0.60) for the 60 kDa protein, and in the chronic phase the IgG antibodies showed a recognition frequency (f = 0.68) for the 12 kDa protein. Seronegatives revealed no type of band. The protein of 12 kDa can be a diagnostic marker of the chronic phase while protein 60 kDa of the acute phase of toxoplasmosis.

Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii antigens with sera from toxoplasmosis patients

Demonstrou-se que algumas proteínas do Toxoplasma gondii são reconhecidas pelos anticorpos IgG, IgM e IgA em pacientes com toxoplasmose aguda e crônica. A cepa e o estágio do protozoário interferem na diferença. Sessenta e nove soros de indivíduos imunocompetentes foram submetidos à pesquisa de anticorpos pela técnica de Western-Blot, sendo 20 dos soros provenientes de pacientes com infecção aguda e 29 de infecção crônica de toxoplasmose e 20 sem doença (soronegativos). A análise das proteínas reveladas pelos anticorpos IgG e IgM foi feita pelo método de Inmunoplot com a finalidade de se conhecer a freqüência de reconhecimento (f), e serem valorizados como marcadores de infecção. Na fase aguda os anticorpos IgM apresentaram uma freqüência de reconhecimento (f = 0.60) para a proteína de 60kDa. Na fase crônica, os anticorpos IgG apresentaram (f = 0.68) para a proteína de 12kDa. Soronegativos não revelaram nenhuma informação. A proteína de 12kDa pode ser um marcador diagnóstico da fase crônica, e a proteína de 60kDa pode ser um marcador diagnóstico da fase aguda da toxoplasmose.

Some proteins of the Toxoplasma gondii are recognized by IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies in patients with acute and chronic toxoplasmosis, depending on the strain and stage of the Toxoplasma. Sixty-nine sera from immunocompetent individuals were studied through the Western-Blot Test: 20 has an acute infection, 29 has a chronic toxoplasmosis infection and 20 were healthy (seronegatives). The protein analysis revealed by IgG and IgM antibodies were performed through the immunoplot method in order to know their recognition frequency (f) and be valued as infection markers. In the acute phase, the IgM antibodies showed a recognition frequency (f = 0.60) for the 60 kDa protein, and in the chronic phase the IgG antibodies showed a recognition frequency (f = 0.68) for the 12 kDa protein. Seronegatives revealed no type of band. The protein of 12 kDa can be a diagnostic marker of the chronic phase while protein 60 kDa of the acute phase of toxoplasmosis.

Prevalence of IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Com a aparição do vírus de inmunodeficiência humana (VIH), a prevalência de toxoplasmosis tem aumentado demais. Em dos pacientes com o síndrome de inmunodeficiência, a toxoplasmosis é a principal causa de morte. A incidência, de anticorpos nesse tipo de pacientes depende da prevalência da população onde se apresenta a doença. O método de Enzima Inmuno Ensaio absorvemnte (ELISA) foi aplicado a 92 pacientes para determinar si eram positivos a anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma IgG e IgM. O resultado foi: 46 (50.5%) foram seropositivos e un caso apresentou anticorpos IgM. D estos 92 pacientes, 53 apresentavam o virus de inmunodeficiência humana (HIV) y 39 tinham SIDA. A determinação e o "monitoreo" de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma em pacientes com HIV é indispensável, pois uma taxa elevada destos pacientes pode desenvolver a toxoplasmosis cerebral, a causa principal de morte nessos pacientes.

With the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Toxoplasma gondii has arisen as an important opportunist pathogenic agent, especially in the central nervous system, being the most common cause of intracerebral lesions. The incidence of Toxoplasma gondii in HIV-infected patients depends principally on the existence of latent Toxoplasma parasitosis in the population affected. Through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were found in 92 patients of which 46 (50.0%) were IgG seropositive, and only one case (1.0%) had IgM antibodies. Of the 92 patients: 53 were HIV seropositives and 39 had AIDS. The detection and monitoring of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in HIV patients is essential, since in this group there is a high percentage risk of developing cerebral toxoplasmosis, which is the second cause of death in this type of patients.

Prevalence of IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

With the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Toxoplasma gondii has arisen as an important opportunist pathogenic agent, especially in the central nervous system, being the most common cause of intracerebral lesions. The incidence of Toxoplasma gondii in HIV-infected patients depends principally on the existence of latent Toxoplasma parasitosis in the population affected. Through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were found in 92 patients of which 46 (50.0%) were IgG seropositive, and only one case (1.0%) had IgM antibodies. Of the 92 patients: 53 were HIV seropositives and 39 had AIDS. The detection and monitoring of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in HIV patients is essential, since in this group there is a high percentage risk of developing cerebral toxoplasmosis, which is the second cause of death in this type of patients.

Incidence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in women with high-risk pregnancy and habitual abortions.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite. In pregnant women on the worldwide scale, there are seroprevalences from 7% to 51.3% and in women with abnormal pregnancies and abortions the seroprevalences vary from 17.5% to 52.3%. In Mexico, seropositivity has been found to vary from 18.2% to 44.8% in women with abnormal deliveries or abortions. This study's aim was to determine the incidence of IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in women at the Gineco-Obstetrics Hospital of the Western Medical Center of the Mexican Social Security Institute. Three hundred and fifty women with high-risk pregnancies were studied, and 122 (34.9%) were found to be IgG seropositive and 76 (20.7%) were IgM positive. In one group of women with habitual abortions there were 48 (44.9%) with the presence of IgG antibodies and 33 (33.3%) were IgM seropositive. Seropositivity was analyzed according to age, occupation, socio-economic level, eating raw or poorly cooked meat, and living with cats.