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Bowater RO, Gummow B, Mackie T, Thompson AR, Hayes DA, Goudkamp K, Taylor JD. Toxoplasmosis epidemic in a population of urbanised allied rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis) on Magnetic Island (Yunbenun), North Queensland. Aust Vet J 2024; 102:256-263. [PMID: 38361144 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
A mortality event involving 23 allied rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis) displaying neurological signs and sudden death occurred in late April to May 2021 in a suburban residential area directly adjacent to Magnetic Island National Park, on Magnetic Island (Yunbenun), North Queensland, Australia. Three allied rock-wallabies were submitted for necropsy, and in all three cases, the cause of death was disseminated toxoplasmosis. This mortality event was unusual because only a small, localised population of native wallabies inhabiting a periurban area on a tropical island in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area were affected. A disease investigation determined the outbreak was likely linked to the presence of free-ranging feral and domesticated cats inhabiting the area. There were no significant deaths of other wallabies or wildlife in the same or other parts of Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) at the time of the outbreak. This is the first reported case of toxoplasmosis in allied rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis), and this investigation highlights the importance of protecting native wildlife species from an infectious and potentially fatal parasitic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- R O Bowater
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Road, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - B Gummow
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Road, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - T Mackie
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Road, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - A R Thompson
- Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Animal Health Laboratory, 165 Westbury Road, Prospect, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250, Australia
| | - D A Hayes
- Launceston General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250, Australia
| | - K Goudkamp
- Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island, Queensland, 4819, Australia
| | - J D Taylor
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Road, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
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2
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Carranza-Rodríguez C, Bolaños-Rivero M, Pérez-Arellano JL. Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Humans: A Comprehensive Approach Involving the General Population, HIV-Infected Patients and Intermediate-Duration Fever in the Canary Islands, Spain. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:809. [PMID: 38667455 PMCID: PMC11049236 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14080809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A prior investigation in 1993 identified a high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis (63%) in the Canary Islands. This study aims to assess the current prevalence of the disease in diverse population groups. The study was based on a population-scale screening involving 273 residents utilizing T. gondii IgG ELISA and a 20 year retrospective study (1998-2018). This included AIDS/HIV outpatients (1357, of which 324 were residents), AIDS/HIV hospitalized patients (741) and patients with fever of intermediate duration (158). The seroprevalence in the resident population was 37%, with significant differences between islands. Among resident outpatients with AIDS/HIV, 14.2% had specific anti-T. gondii IgG, and three had anti-T. gondii IgM; however, IgG avidity testing indicated non-active infection. In patients hospitalized for AIDS/HIV, T. gondii causing encephalitis was detected in 2%. Among patients with fever of intermediate duration, 28.5% were positive for T. gondii IgG, and four also showed IgM positivity, although the infection was non-active. The study reveals a decrease in human toxoplasmosis over the past 30 years. However, the current seroprevalence, which stands at 37%, together with the substantial risk that T. gondii represents for immunocompromised individuals, highlights the need to implement preventive and control strategies to control the threat that this infection can pose to public health in the Canary Islands population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Carranza-Rodríguez
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain and Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;
| | - Margarita Bolaños-Rivero
- Microbiology Division, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;
| | - José-Luis Pérez-Arellano
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain and Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain;
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3
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Calero-Bernal R, Gennari SM, Cano S, Salas-Fajardo MY, Ríos A, Álvarez-García G, Ortega-Mora LM. Anti- Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in European Residents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Published between 2000 and 2020. Pathogens 2023; 12:1430. [PMID: 38133313 PMCID: PMC10745778 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis has a major impact on animal and public health. Information regarding the seroprevalence of human Toxoplasma gondii infections from a European perspective has not yet been compiled to date. Thus, the present review summarized available resident data from the period 2000-2020. The overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG was 32.1%, with great variability between countries (n = 30). The subgroup analysis identified different pooled prevalence data depending on the geographic area (p < 0.0001), target population (p = 0.0147), and serological diagnosis assays used (p = 0.0059). A high heterogeneity (I2 = 100%, p < 0.001; Q = 3.5e+05, d.f. = 135, p < 0.001) and degree of publication bias (Egger's test = 6.14, p < 0.001) were observed among the 134 studies considered. The occurrence of anti-T. gondii IgM, which was reported in 64.7% of studies, reached a pooled seroprevalence of 0.6%. In addition, among the eight main risk factors identified, "contact with soil", "consumption of undercooked beef", and "intake of unwashed vegetables" were the most significantly associated with infections. The fact that one-third of the European population has been exposed to T. gondii justifies extra efforts to harmonize surveillance systems and develop additional risk-factor analyses based on detailed source attribution assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Y.S.-F.); (A.R.); (G.Á.-G.); (L.M.O.-M.)
| | - Solange María Gennari
- PhD Program in One Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Santo Amaro, São Paulo 04829-300, SP, Brazil;
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Santiago Cano
- Computing Services, Research Support Center, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Martha Ynés Salas-Fajardo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Y.S.-F.); (A.R.); (G.Á.-G.); (L.M.O.-M.)
| | - Arantxa Ríos
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Y.S.-F.); (A.R.); (G.Á.-G.); (L.M.O.-M.)
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Y.S.-F.); (A.R.); (G.Á.-G.); (L.M.O.-M.)
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Y.S.-F.); (A.R.); (G.Á.-G.); (L.M.O.-M.)
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4
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López-Ureña NM, Calero-Bernal R, González-Fernández N, Blaga R, Koudela B, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. Optimization of the most widely used serological tests for a harmonized diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in domestic pigs. Vet Parasitol 2023; 322:110024. [PMID: 37729831 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.110024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The intake of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts through raw or undercooked pork meat is one of the main infection sources for humans. Thus, surveillance is recommended to control and prevent infection in domestic pigs. However, the lack of comparative studies hampers the updating of their performance and the comparison of seroprevalence data. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and validate three in-house tests and accomplish a comparative analysis of the most widely used serological tests employed in pigs. A panel of sera from pigs experimentally infected with either oocysts or tissue cysts from type II and III isolates (n = 158) was used to develop and validate a tachyzoite-based Western blot assay. Then, this technique was used as a reference to develop and preliminary validate a lyophilized tachyzoite-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and an immunofluorescence antibody test. Next, a comparative study of the three in-house tests and three widely used commercial ELISAs (IDScreen®, PrioCHECK™ and Pigtype®) was accomplished with the abovementioned sera together with an additional serum panel of pigs experimentally infected with oocysts from the type II isolate (n = 44) and a panel of naturally infected pigs (n = 244). The results obtained by the majority of the tests were regarded as reference, and data analyses included TG-ROC calculations and agreement tests. Finally, the kinetics of anti-T. gondii IgGs from experimentally infected pigs was analyzed. Excellent sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) values (≥ 93%) and moderate to near perfect agreement (k = 0.63-0.91) were observed using sera from experimental infections without requiring further readjustment, except for PrioCHECK (100% Se, 73% Sp). However, the Se of IDScreen® (87%) and TgSALUVET WB (71%) and the Sp of PrioCHECK (72%) were slightly or notably reduced when sera from naturally infected animals were analyzed, which also influenced the kappa values (k = 0.30-0.91). Cutoff readjustments increased the Se and Sp values to equal to or above 97% for all tests, except for TgSALUVET WB, which can be used as a reference for initial validation of tests, but it is not recommended for routine diagnosis. Seroconversion was recorded from two weeks post-infection by most of the tests, with significantly higher IgG levels in sera from pigs infected with the T. gondii type III vs. type II isolate. Again, differences regarding the test employed were observed. Differences in the diagnostic performance among tests evidenced the need to harmonize serological techniques to obtain comparable and reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Radu Blaga
- Anses, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Bretislav Koudela
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
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5
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Mancusi A, Proroga YTR, Giordano A, Girardi S, D’Orilia F, Pinto R, Sarnelli P, Rinaldi L, Capuano F, Maurelli MP. First application of a droplet digital PCR to detect Toxoplasma gondii in mussels. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1238689. [PMID: 37744920 PMCID: PMC10514481 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1238689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the main food-, water- and soil-borne zoonotic disease worldwide. Over the past 20 years many papers were published on the transmission of T. gondii by marine animals, including mollusks, which can concentrate the oocysts and release them. Sporulated oocysts may remain viable and infective for 18 months in seawater. Therefore, raw or undercooked bivalve mollusks pose a risk to humans. This study aimed to apply and validate for the first time a very sensitive digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) protocol to detect and quantify T. gondii DNA in mussels. Four concentration levels: 8000 genomic copies (gc)/μL, 800 gc/μL, 80 gc/μL, 8 gc/μL of a T. gondii reference DNA were tested. DNA was extracted from 80 pools of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Forty pools were contaminated with T. gondii reference DNA and used as positive controls, while 40 pools were used as negative controls. DdPCR reaction was prepared using a protocol, previously developed by the authors, for detection of T. gondii in meat. Amplification was obtained up 8 gc/μL. All infected replicates resulted positive, as well as no droplets were detected in negative controls. The droplets produced in the reaction ranged from 8,828 to 14,075 (average 12,627 droplets). The sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR were 100% (95%CI = 94.3-99.9). In addition, 100 pools of mussels collected in the Gulf of Naples were used to validate the protocol. Of these 16% were positive (95% CI = 9.7-25.0) for T. gondii. Samples were also tested by real-time PCR and no positive samples were found. Data obtained from ddPCR showed good identification of negative and positive samples with higher specificity and efficiency than real-time PCR. This tool could be very useful for a rapid sensitive detection of low DNA concentrations of T. gondii in mussels, reducing the risk of toxoplasmosis in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mancusi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Angela Giordano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Santa Girardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Renato Pinto
- UOD Prevenzione e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria Regione Campania, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Sarnelli
- UOD Prevenzione e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria Regione Campania, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Centro di Riferimento Regionale Sanità Animale (CReSan), Salerno, Italy
- Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Federico Capuano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Maurelli
- Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Tyroller F, Haas B, Posch B, Hettlich B, Schwandt C, Pfleghaar S. Toxoplasma gondii spinal granuloma in a cat. JFMS Open Rep 2023; 9:20551169231208890. [PMID: 38022705 PMCID: PMC10676631 DOI: 10.1177/20551169231208890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Case summary A 7-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented with a history of progressive pelvic limb ataxia. A CT scan of the thoracic spine identified an extradural, left lateralised and compressive soft tissue mass at the level of T9. A decompressive hemilaminectomy at the level of T8-T10 and tissue sampling of the mass were performed. Histopathological examination revealed a parasite granuloma caused by Toxoplasma gondii infection. Postoperatively, the cat improved consistently, but mild left pelvic limb lameness remained. At 5 weeks, a recheck CT scan showed a small, enhancing soft tissue lesion in the left epidural space at T9, causing a mild left lateral compression of the spinal cord. After 9 months, the cat acutely deteriorated neurologically and was euthanased without postmortem examination. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the first report of a T gondii spinal granuloma in a cat. Such a granuloma should be considered as a differential in cats with evidence of an extradural soft tissue mass.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Haas
- Kleintierzentrum Germering, Germering, Bayern, Germany
| | - Barbara Posch
- Tierärztliches Gesundheitszentrum Piding, Piding, Germany
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7
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Zhu S, VanWormer E, Martínez-López B, Bahia-Oliveira LMG, DaMatta RA, Rodrigues PS, Shapiro K. Quantitative Risk Assessment of Oocyst Versus Bradyzoite Foodborne Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in Brazil. Pathogens 2023; 12:870. [PMID: 37513717 PMCID: PMC10384504 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed zoonotic protozoan parasite. Infection with T. gondii can cause congenital toxoplasmosis in developing fetuses and acute outbreaks in the general population, and the disease burden is especially high in South America. Prior studies found that the environmental stage of T. gondii, oocysts, is an important source of infection in Brazil; however, no studies have quantified this risk relative to other parasite stages. We developed a Bayesian quantitative risk assessment (QRA) to estimate the relative attribution of the two primary parasite stages (bradyzoite and oocyst) that can be transmitted in foods to people in Brazil. Oocyst contamination in fruits and greens contributed significantly more to overall estimated T. gondii infections than bradyzoite-contaminated foods (beef, pork, poultry). In sensitivity analysis, treatment, i.e., cooking temperature for meat and washing efficiency for produce, most strongly affected the estimated toxoplasmosis incidence rate. Due to the lack of regional food contamination prevalence data and the high level of uncertainty in many model parameters, this analysis provides an initial estimate of the relative importance of food products. Important knowledge gaps for oocyst-borne infections were identified and can drive future studies to improve risk assessments and effective policy actions to reduce human toxoplasmosis in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Elizabeth VanWormer
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Beatriz Martínez-López
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Renato Augusto DaMatta
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Pedro Souto Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Karen Shapiro
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Huertas-López A, Álvarez-García G, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Cantos-Barreda A, Ibáñez-López FJ, Martínez-Subiela S, Cerón JJ, Martínez-Carrasco C. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the serological diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection highlight the lack of a One Health integrative research. Res Vet Sci 2023; 155:137-149. [PMID: 36682338 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed food-borne zoonotic parasite with numerous infection sources. The control of this zoonosis requires a One Health response that partially depends on serological monitoring in humans and animals. Herein, a systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed to analyse and compare the transdisciplinary and integrative research under the One Health approach. We searched for articles published between January 1st 2014 and September 5th 2022, focused on the development and evaluation of serological techniques for the diagnosis of T. gondii infection in humans and animals. After an exhaustive search on three scientific databases, a quality assessment was performed on 291 articles by QUADAS-2 tool, and 113 articles were finally selected. A total of 18 variables were extracted and analysed, including bibliometric characteristics, study aims and methodology. Remarkably, none of the studies included in the meta-analysis explicitly quoted the words "One Health", and only 23.9% of them alluded to the principles underlying the One Health approach; in particular, none were conducted by physician-only teams, with the majority of these studies involving interdisciplinary research teams, followed by veterinarians and by non-physician or non-veterinarian researchers. The One Health approach followed in the serodiagnosis of T. gondii still needs further integration among scientific disciplines, which is essential to design effective control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Huertas-López
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cantos-Barreda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain; Animal Health Department, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Ibáñez-López
- Statistical Support Section (SAE), Scientific and Research Area (ACTI), University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Silvia Martínez-Subiela
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - José Joaquín Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Carlos Martínez-Carrasco
- Animal Health Department, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
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Wang Z, Qu T, Qi H, Zhao S, Shi H, Bai W, Yu Y, Wu X, Zhao P. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in women with a gynecological tumor living in eastern China. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14569. [PMID: 36540800 PMCID: PMC9760017 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and malignancy has attracted increased attention in recent years, but little is known of T. gondii infection among women diagnosed with a gynecological tumor (GT) in China. We conducted a case-control study involving 460 women diagnosed with a GT and 460 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) to estimate the infection process of T. gondii and understand the risk factors of T. gondii infection in patients with a GT. Levels of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassays every 12 months. After a median follow-up time of 4.3 years (range 4 to 5 years), 55/460 (11.96%) patients with a GT and 15/460 (3.26%) HCs were seroprevalence for T. gondii antibodies, respectively (P = 0.001). IgG antibodies against T. gondii were found in 54 GT patients (11.74%) and 15 HCs (3.26%), respectively (P = 0.001). The seroprevalence of T. gondii IgM antibodies was similar in patients with a GT and with HCs (2.83% vs 1.3%, P = 0.105). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed contact with cats (OR, 6.67; 95% CI [2.89-10.75]; P = 0.001), exposure to soil (OR, 2.16; 95% CI [1.14-4.10]; P = 0.019), being a farm-worker (OR, 4.17; 95% CI [1.20-11.49]; P = 0.006) and history of chemotherapy (OR, 3.16; 95% CI [1.56-6.45]; P = 0.001) to be independent risk factors for T. gondii infection. Women with an ovarian cancer or endometrial cancer had higher T. gondii seroprevalence than that of HCs. Moreover, T. gondii infection in patients with a GT mostly acquired within two years of diagnosis, but the infection in healthy controls had no obvious time characteristics. Here, we demonstrated that T. gondii infection is significantly higher in patients with a GT (especially in women with an ovarian tumor) compared to HCs. Thus, infection with this parasite should be avoided in patients with a GT, and the causal relationship between T. gondii and GTs should be studied in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjun Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Tingting Qu
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Huiyang Qi
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Shuchao Zhao
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hailei Shi
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Wenye Bai
- Department of Hepatobilary and Surgery Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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10
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Borges HDS, Oliveira-Scussel ACM, Oliveira ÂMM, Abdallah VOS, Pajuaba ACAM, Mineo JR. Comparative Detection of Immunoglobulin Isotypes and Subclasses against Toxoplasma gondii Soluble Antigen in Serum and Colostrum Samples from Puerperal Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137953. [PMID: 35805611 PMCID: PMC9265988 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can infect several species, including humans, and can cause severe damage to the fetus when the infection occurs during pregnancy. The environment and/or food contamination are critical to spreading the infection. Human milk is rich in nutrients and bioactive elements that provide growth and development of the immune system of the newborn. All isotypes of immunoglobulins are present in human colostrum and they are produced from systemic or local sources. Breastfeeding protects the infant against various pathogens, but there is no conclusive study to detect IgG subclasses in colostrum against T. gondii. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect and evaluate the presence of antibody isotypes against T. gondii in paired samples of serum and colostrum. Methods: The study included 283 puerperal patients. ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) for detection of anti-T. gondii-specific IgM, IgA, and IgG isotypes and IgG1, IgG3, and IgG4 subclasses were conducted on paired samples of serum and colostrum. Results: It was found that 45.9%, 6.0%, and 2.1% of serum samples and 45.2%, 7.1%, and 2.1% of colostrum samples were positive for IgG, IgM, and IgA, respectively. Specific IgG1, IgG3, and IgG4 were positive, respectively, in 98.5%, 54.6%, and 44.6% of serum samples, in contrast with 56.9%, 78.5%, and 34.6% of colostrum samples. Thus, the predominant reactivity of IgG subclasses against T. gondii was IgG1 in serum and IgG3 in colostrum. The higher percentage of positive samples and higher levels of anti-T. gondii IgG3 antibodies were observed in colostrum, when compared to serum samples, suggesting a local production of this subclass. IgG3 and IgG1 subclasses presented different percentages of positivity in serum and colostrum. Only the IgG1 subclass showed a significant correlation between the levels of anti-T. gondii in serum and colostrum, suggesting that IgG1 in breast milk comes from a systemic source. IgG4 showed a similar percentage of positivity in both sample types, but no significant correlation was observed between their levels. Conclusion: Colostrum presents representative levels of IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG3, and IgG4 antibodies specific to T. gondii. The detection of these antibodies presents the potential for diagnostic application of colostrum samples to better identify the diagnostic status of T. gondii infection, especially during the acute phase. In addition, breastfeeding can also be a possible source of protective antibodies for the newborn against toxoplasmosis, an anthropozoonosis maintained by environmental infection, which interferes in the public health of many countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hellen Dayane Silva Borges
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mário Endsfeldz Camargo”, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-317, MG, Brazil; (H.D.S.B.); (A.C.M.O.-S.); (A.C.A.M.P.)
| | - Ana Carolina Morais Oliveira-Scussel
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mário Endsfeldz Camargo”, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-317, MG, Brazil; (H.D.S.B.); (A.C.M.O.-S.); (A.C.A.M.P.)
- Biomedicine Teaching Laboratory, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | - Ângela Maria Morais Oliveira
- Human Milk Bank, The Clinics Hospital of Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Uberlândia 38405-320, MG, Brazil;
| | - Vânia Olivetti Steffen Abdallah
- Department of Pediatrics, The Clinics Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-320, MG, Brazil;
| | - Ana Cláudia Arantes Marquez Pajuaba
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mário Endsfeldz Camargo”, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-317, MG, Brazil; (H.D.S.B.); (A.C.M.O.-S.); (A.C.A.M.P.)
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mário Endsfeldz Camargo”, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-317, MG, Brazil; (H.D.S.B.); (A.C.M.O.-S.); (A.C.A.M.P.)
- Correspondence:
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