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Fernández-Escobar M, Schares G, Maksimov P, Joeres M, Ortega-Mora LM, Calero-Bernal R. Toxoplasma gondii Genotyping: A Closer Look Into Europe. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:842595. [PMID: 35402301 PMCID: PMC8984497 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.842595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a major zoonotic agent which may cause harmful effects mainly in pregnant and immunocompromised hosts. Despite many efforts on its genetic characterization, an entirely clear picture of the population structure in Europe has not been achieved yet. The present study aimed to summarize the available genotyping information and to map the distribution of circulating strains. There is consensus on type II T. gondii genotypes prevailing in Europe, but the absence of harmonization in the use of typing methods limits detailed knowledge. Standardized, high-end typing tools and integrative strategies are needed to fill the gaps and complete an accurate image of the T. gondii genetic population in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gereon Schares
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Pavlo Maksimov
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Maike Joeres
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rafael Calero-Bernal,
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Uzelac A, Klun I, Ćirković V, Djurković-Djaković O. In Vivo and In Vitro Virulence Analysis of Four Genetically Distinct Toxoplasma gondii Lineage III Isolates. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1702. [PMID: 33142663 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii archetypes II and III are mildly virulent, yet virulence of variant strains is largely unknown. While lineage II dominates in humans in Europe, lineage III strains are present in various intermediate hosts. In Serbia, lineage III represents 24% of the population structure and occurs most frequently in domestic animals, implying a significant presence in the human food web. In this study, the virulence of four genetically distinct lineage III variants was assessed in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, two strains were shown to be intermediately virulent and two mildly virulent, with cumulative mortalities of 69.4%, 38.8%, 10.7%, and 6.8%, respectively. The strain with the highest mortality has previously been isolated in Europe and may be endemic; the strain with the lowest mortality matches ToxoDB#54, while the remaining two represent novel genotypes. Identical alleles were detected at ROP5, ROP16, ROP18, and GRA15. A set of in vitro analyses revealed proliferation and plaque formation as virulence factors. Higher levels of expression of ENO2 in intermediately virulent strains point to enhanced metabolism as the underlying mechanism. The results suggest that metabolic attenuation, and possibly stage conversion, may be delayed in virulent strains.
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Bauman N, Ilić A, Lijeskić O, Uzelac A, Klun I, Srbljanović J, Ćirković V, Bobić B, Štajner T, Djurković-Djaković O. Computational image analysis reveals the structural complexity of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234169. [PMID: 32810131 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite infecting up to one third of the human population. The central event in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis is the conversion of tachyzoites into encysted bradyzoites. A novel approach to analyze the structure of in vivo-derived tissue cysts may be the increasingly used computational image analysis. The objective of this study was to quantify the geometrical complexity of T. gondii cysts by morphological, particle, and fractal analysis, as well as to determine if it is impacted by parasite strain, cyst age, and host type. A total of 31 images of T. gondii brain cysts of four type-2 strains (Me49, and local isolates BGD1, BGD14, and BGD26) was analyzed using ImageJ software. The parameters of interest included diameter, circularity, packing density (PD), fractal dimension (FD), and lacunarity. Although cyst diameter varied widely, its negative correlation with PD was observed. Circularity was remarkably close to 1, indicating a perfectly round shape of the cysts. PD and FD did not vary among cysts of different strains, age, and derived from mice of different genetic background. Conversely, lacunarity, which is a measure of heterogeneity, was significantly lower for BGD1 strain vs. all other strains, and higher for Me49 vs. BGD14 and BGD26, but did not differ among Me49 cysts of different age, or those derived from genetically different mice. The results indicate a highly uniform structure and occupancy of the different T. gondii tissue cysts. This study furthers the use of image analysis in describing the structural complexity of T. gondii cyst morphology, and presents the first application of fractal analysis for this purpose. The presented results show that use of a freely available software is a cost-effective approach to advance automated image scoring for T. gondii cysts.
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Gisbert Algaba I, Verhaegen B, Murat JB, Coucke W, Mercier A, Cox E, Dorny P, Dierick K, De Craeye S. Molecular Study of Toxoplasma gondii Isolates Originating from Humans and Organic Pigs in Belgium. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2020; 17:316-321. [PMID: 31905293 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide prevalent, zoonotic parasite of major importance for public health, which can infect any warm-blooded animal species, including humans. Humans can get infected by consumption of meat from a chronically infected animal, by ingestion of sporulated oocysts (resulting from the sexual replication in felids), via contaminated water, soil, or vegetables, and by vertical transmission via the placenta. Infection through meat consumption is estimated to be one of the main sources of human toxoplasmosis cases in developed countries, and more specifically pork is considered to be responsible for 41% of foodborne human toxoplasmosis cases in the United States. To better assess the role of pork as a source of T. gondii infection in humans in Belgium, parasites were isolated from pigs to compare with human clinical isolates in a molecular epidemiological study. A positive result was obtained by magnetic capture-quantitative polymerase chain reaction for T. gondii in 14 out of the 92 hearts sampled during 2016 and 2017 from pigs raised in organic farms. From 9 of these 14 samples, parasites were isolated by mouse bioassay, demonstrating the presence of viable T. gondii in animals intended for human consumption. When genotyped and compared with 15 human isolates obtained during 2015 and 2016, a highly related structured population was demonstrated. Overall, these findings demonstrate the presence of infectious T. gondii in pigs intended for human consumption. Therefore, a potential transmission of T. gondii strains from pigs to humans could occur. However, both species could also be infected via a common source of infection such as oocysts. Furthermore, Belgium does not have an official surveillance program for T. gondii in human cases or food-producing animals; as a consequence, the detection of the infection source of a patient is very rare. Overall, this study reinforces the identification of pork as a potential risk for the consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bavo Verhaegen
- Scientific Service Food-Borne Pathogens, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Eric Cox
- Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Pierre Dorny
- Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Uzelac A, Klun I, Ćirović D, Penezić A, Ćirković V, Djurković-Djaković O. Detection and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in wild canids in Serbia. Parasitol Int 2019; 73:101973. [PMID: 31404655 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.101973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To gain insight into the population structure of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife in Serbia, multiplex nested PCR- RFLP was performed on T. gondii DNA positive samples of heart tissue of three wild canid species, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), golden jackals (Canis aureus) and grey wolves (Canis lupus). Out of 110 samples (28 red foxes, 72 golden jackals, 10 wolves), 30 (27.3%) were positive for T. gondii DNA, of which 24 were genotyped (nine red foxes, 13 golden jackals and two wolves). The results showed a large dominance of lineage II (n = 20, 83.4%) over lineage III (n = 4, 16.7%) strains. Lineage II comprised four archetypes, 14 variants and one which remained undetermined, while within lineage III there were three archetypes and one variant strain. However, a notable difference in diversity was observed among the examined canids, with eight (88.9%) of the nine strains detected in red foxes distinct, vs. six (46.1%) distinct strains of the 13 detected in golden jackals. Since anthropogenic food sources are a major reservoir of archetypal lineage II and III T. gondii strains, the results suggest that the golden jackal may be outcompeting the red fox, forcing it to hunt wild mammals and birds for sustenance, thereby increasing its chances of infection with variant strains. In addition to presenting the first data on the T. gondii population structure in wild canids in Serbia, this is the first report ever on T. gondii genotypes in golden jackals, a species with an increasing presence in Europe and another important reservoir of domestically circulating T. gondii strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Uzelac
- Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
| | - Ivana Klun
- Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
| | - Duško Ćirović
- Department for Animal Ecology and Zoogeography, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Penezić
- Department for Animal Ecology and Zoogeography, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Ćirković
- Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11129, Serbia.
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Abstract
Consumption of undercooked or raw pork is considered a significant risk factor for human infection with Toxoplasma gondii. In this study, we investigated the genetic structure of 18 T. gondii strains obtained from slaughter pigs from Northern Serbia (mainly Vojvodina). The examined samples originated from eight pigs from large commercial farms, six backyard pigs and four free-range Mangalica pigs, all found to be positive for either viable T. gondii or T. gondii DNA. Genotyping was attempted from both pig tissues and mouse brains from the bio-assays using a multiplex multilocus nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR-RFLP) method with seven markers (GRA6, alt. SAG2, PK-1, BTUB, C22-8, CS3 and Apico). Identification was achieved for nine T. gondii isolates. Seven isolates were classified as type II and two as type III. These results are consistent with previous studies on animal isolates from Serbia as well as with previous reports that type III is more frequently found in samples from Southern Europe than in those from other parts of the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Kuruca
- 1Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Uzelac
- 2National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis (NRLToxo), Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Klun
- 2National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis (NRLToxo), Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vesna Lalošević
- 1Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- 2National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis (NRLToxo), Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Hosseini SA, Amouei A, Sharif M, Sarvi S, Galal L, Javidnia J, Pagheh AS, Gholami S, Mizani A, Daryani A. Human toxoplasmosis: a systematic review for genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in clinical samples. Epidemiol Infect 2018; 147:e36. [PMID: 30394261 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818002947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) as an obligate intracellular protozoan with a worldwide distribution can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals and humans. This study aims to provide a summary of the available data on genotypes of T. gondii in human. Five databases including MEDLINE in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched for the T. gondii genotyping in human during 1995-August 2017. Next, we screened all the articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 26 studies were eligible regarding genotyping T. gondii in human samples. In clonal genotyping, 167 out of 286 cases (58%) were infected with type II. Genetic characterisation of T. gondii isolates displayed that type II was the most predominant genotype in human with the prevalence of 64.3%, 62.1% and 41.7% in patients with AIDS, congenital and ocular toxoplasmosis, respectively. In ToxoDB genotyping, most individuals were infected with genotypes #9 and #65 (21.2%). Based on these results, genotype profile of T. gondii isolates is different throughout the world. The strains in Asian and African countries are characterised by low genetic diversity, while in North and South America a wide diversity of this parasite is found. In countries without any data (e.g. Australia, Western and Southern Africa and Western Asia), identification of T. gondii genotypes might discover higher genetic diversity.
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Nascimento BB, Cartelle CT, Noviello MDL, Pinheiro BV, de Almeida Vitor RW, Souza DDG, de Vasconcelos Generoso S, Cardoso VN, Martins FDS, Nicoli JR, Arantes RME. Influence of indigenous microbiota on experimental toxoplasmosis in conventional and germ-free mice. Int J Exp Pathol 2017; 98:191-202. [PMID: 28895246 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis represents one of the most common zoonoses worldwide. Its agent, Toxoplasma gondii, causes a severe innate pro-inflammatory response. The indigenous intestinal microbiota promotes host animal homoeostasis and may protect the host against pathogens. Germ-free (GF) animals provide an important tool for the study of interactions between host and microbiota. In this study, we assessed the role of indigenous microorganisms in disease development utilizing a murine toxoplasmosis model, which includes conventional (CV) and GF NIH Swiss mice. CV and GF mice orally inoculated with T. gondii had similar survival curves. However, disease developed differently in the two animal groups. In CV mice, intestinal permeability increased and levels of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines were altered. In GF animals, there were discrete epithelial degenerative changes and mucosal oedema, but the liver and lungs displayed significant lesions. We conclude that, despite similar survival curves, CV animals succumb to an exaggerated inflammatory response, whereas GF mice fail to produce an adequate systemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna B Nascimento
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Laboratório de Neuro-Imunopatologia Experimental (NIPE), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Christiane T Cartelle
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Laboratório de Neuro-Imunopatologia Experimental (NIPE), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Maria de L Noviello
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Laboratório de Neuro-Imunopatologia Experimental (NIPE), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Breno V Pinheiro
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ricardo W de Almeida Vitor
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Danielle da G Souza
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Simone de Vasconcelos Generoso
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Valbert N Cardoso
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Flaviano Dos S Martins
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jacques R Nicoli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rosa M E Arantes
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Laboratório de Neuro-Imunopatologia Experimental (NIPE), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Milovanović I, Busarčević M, Trbovich A, Ivović V, Uzelac A, Djurković-Djaković O. Evidence for host genetic regulation of altered lipid metabolism in experimental toxoplasmosis supported with gene data mining results. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176700. [PMID: 28459857 PMCID: PMC5411058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful parasites on Earth, infecting a wide array of mammals including one third of the global human population. The obligate intracellular protozoon is not capable of synthesizing cholesterol (Chl), and thus depends on uptake of host Chl for its own development. To explore the genetic regulation of previously observed lipid metabolism alterations during acute murine T. gondii infection, we here assessed total Chl and its fractions in serum and selected tissues at the pathophysiological and molecular level, and integrated the observed gene expression of selected molecules relevant for Chl metabolism, including its biosynthetic and export KEGG pathways, with the results of published transcriptomes obtained in similar murine models of T. gondii infection. The serum lipid status as well as the transcript levels of relevant genes in the brain and the liver were assessed in experimental models of acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in wild-type mice. The results showed that acute infection was associated with a decrease in Chl content in both the liver and periphery (brain, peripheral lymphocytes), and a decrease in Chl reverse transport. In contrast, in chronic infection, a return to normal levels of Chl metabolism has been noted. These changes corresponded to the brain and liver gene expression results as well as to data obtained via mining. We propose that the observed changes in Chl metabolism are part of the host defense response. Further insight into the lipid metabolism in T. gondii infection may provide novel targets for therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Milovanović
- Institute for Pathologic Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miloš Busarčević
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Alexander Trbovich
- Institute for Pathologic Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Ivović
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Uzelac
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- * E-mail:
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Klun I, Uzelac A, Villena I, Mercier A, Bobić B, Nikolić A, Rajnpreht I, Opsteegh M, Aubert D, Blaga R, van der Giessen J, Djurković-Djaković O. The first isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from horses in Serbia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:167. [PMID: 28376902 PMCID: PMC5379513 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2104-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Consumption of undercooked or insufficiently cured meat is a major risk factor for human infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Although horsemeat is typically consumed rare or undercooked, information on the risk of T. gondii from infected horse meat to humans is scarce. Here, we present the results of a study to determine the presence of T. gondii infection in slaughter horses in Serbia, and to attempt to isolate viable parasites. Methods The study included horses from all regions of Serbia slaughtered at two abattoirs between June 2013 and June 2015. Blood sera were tested for the presence of specific IgG T. gondii antibodies by the modified agglutination test (MAT), and samples of trypsin-digested heart tissue were bioassayed in mice. Cyst-positive mouse brain homogenates were subjected to DNA extraction and T. gondii strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers (MS). Results A total of 105 slaughter horses were sampled. At the 1:6 cut-off 48.6% of the examined horses were seropositive, with the highest titre being 1:400. Viable parasites were isolated from two grade type mares; both parasite isolates (RS-Eq39 and RS-Eq40) were T. gondii type III, and both displayed an increased lethality for mice with successive passages. These are the first cases of isolation of T. gondii from horses in Serbia. When compared with a worldwide collection of 61 type III and type III-like strains, isolate RS-Eq39 showed a combination of MS lengths similar to a strain isolated from a duck in Iran, and isolate RS-Eq40 was identical in all markers to three strains isolated from a goat from Gabon, a sheep from France and a pig from Portugal. Interestingly, the source horses were one seronegative and one weakly seropositive. Conclusions The isolation of viable T. gondii parasites from slaughter horses points to horsemeat as a potential source of human infection, but the fact that viable parasites were isolated from horses with only a serological trace of T. gondii infection presents further evidence that serology may not be adequate to assess the risk of toxoplasmosis from horsemeat consumption. Presence of T. gondii type III in Serbia sheds more light into the potential origin of this archetypal lineage in Europe. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2104-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Klun
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Uzelac
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Isabelle Villena
- Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Maison Blanche, EA 3800 SFR CAP-SANTE, UFR Médecine Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 45 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Université de Limoges, 2 rue du Docteur Marcland, 87025, Limoges, France.,Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center (BRC), Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, 87042, Limoges, France
| | - Branko Bobić
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Nikolić
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Irena Rajnpreht
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3520BA, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Dominique Aubert
- Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Maison Blanche, EA 3800 SFR CAP-SANTE, UFR Médecine Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 45 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Radu Blaga
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, ANSES, INRA, Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Joke van der Giessen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3520BA, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Rico-Torres CP, Vargas-Villavicencio JA, Correa D. Is Toxoplasma gondii type related to clinical outcome in human congenital infection? Systematic and critical review. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2016; 35:1079-88. [PMID: 27146878 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-016-2656-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In human congenital toxoplasmosis the effects of parasite burden and pregnancy time at infection on clinical outcome are well known, but there is controversy regarding the role of Toxoplasma gondii type. Through a systematic review of the literature, we aimed to discern if T. gondii type has a role on clinical outcome in human congenital toxoplasmosis. We built up a database of congenital toxoplasmosis from reports of cases, case series and screening-based cohorts, which had information about parasite type, gestation time at maternal infection and/or clinical outcome in the product. Then, we obtained frequencies for loci used to genotype geographical origin of cases and types found. Also, odds ratios were calculated for association between time of maternal infection or parasite type on outcome. Type II parasites were the most common in Europe, Asia and Africa, while in America there were mainly atypical strains. More newborns with clinical problems were born from mothers infected during the first half of gestation than from those acquiring the parasite after week 24, regardless of parasite genotype (92.9 vs. 16.1 %, OR = 67.9, CI95 25.4-181.6). Type I and atypical parasites were associated with clinical problems as opposed to types II and III, regardless of pregnancy period at infection (86.9 vs. 72.9 %, OR = 2.47, CI95 1.1-5.4). A significant and remarkable tendency of type I parasites to be present during early pregnancy was also observed (94.4 vs. 5.6 %, P < 0.009). In addition to parasite burden and period of gestation, T. gondii genotype seems involved in CT clinical outcome.
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Ayi I, Kwofie KD, Blay EA, Osei JHN, Frempong KK, Koku R, Ghansah A, Lartey M, Suzuki T, Boakye DA, Koram KA, Ohta N. Clonal types of Toxoplasma gondii among immune compromised and immune competent individuals in Accra, Ghana. Parasitol Int 2016; 65:238-44. [PMID: 26775819 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
There are three major clonal lineages, types I, II, and III, of Toxoplasma gondii known to cause human toxoplasmosis worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii infections have, however, not been genotyped in Ghana. This study detected the clonal types infecting immune compromised and immune competent individuals in Accra, Ghana. Blood samples were obtained from 148 HIV seropositive pre-antiretroviral therapy individuals (0 ≤ CD4(+) T-cell count/μl blood ≤ 200) at the Fevers Unit and 149 HIV seronegative apparently healthy blood donors at the blood bank, all of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Genomic DNA was extracted and multilocus genotyping conducted by nested PCR-RFLP analysis using GRA6, SAG3, and BTUB gene markers. Among the HIV seropositive participants, 54.7% (81/148) were T. gondii DNA positive for any of the markers. Out of the 81, 42.0% (34) were positive for SAG3 only, 30.9% (25) for GRA6 only, 24.7% (20) for both SAG3 and GRA6, and 2.5% (2) for SAG3, GRA6, and BTUB. Overall, 93.8% of the positives were of clonal type II, 1.2% type I, while 4.9% (4) were atypical or mixed types (I and II). In the healthy blood donors, prevalence of T. gondii DNA positivity was 3.4% (5/149) by SAG3 and/or GRA6; among them, 60.0% (3/5) were type I, and the remaining 40.0%, type II. This study showed a relatively high prevalence of active T. gondii infections in immune compromised patients and low prevalence in immune competent individuals in Accra. Type II was highly prevalent. Detection of T. gondii in blood donors raises public health concerns and screening for T. gondii should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ayi
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Kofi Dadzie Kwofie
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Awusah Blay
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Department of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Joseph Harold Nyarko Osei
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo Kyeremeh Frempong
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Roberta Koku
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana
| | - Anita Ghansah
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Margaret Lartey
- Fevers Unit, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Department of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Daniel Adjei Boakye
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo Ansah Koram
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nobuo Ohta
- Department of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
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Pinheiro BV, Noviello Mde L, Cunha MM, Tavares AT, Carneiro AC, Arantes RM, Vitor RW. Pathological changes in acute experimental toxoplasmosis with Toxoplasma gondii strains obtained from human cases of congenital disease. Exp Parasitol 2015; 156:87-94. [PMID: 26072201 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is a lack of studies using Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from human patients. Here, we present a pathological study of three strains obtained from human cases of congenital toxoplasmosis in Brazil using inbred mice after oral infection with 10 tissue cysts. Multiplex-nested PCR-RFLP of eleven loci revealed atypical genotypes commonly found in Brazil: toxodb #8 for TgCTBr5 and TgCTBr16 strains and toxodb #11 for the TgCTBr9 strain. BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were evaluated for survival and histological changes during the acute phase of the disease. All mice inoculated with the non-virulent TgCTBR5 strain survived after 30 days, although irreversible tissue damage was found. In contrast, no mice were resistant to infection with the highly virulent TgCTBR9 strain. The TgCTBr16 strain resulted in 80% survival in mice. However, this strain presented low infectivity, especially by the oral route of infection. Despite being identified with the same genotype, TgCTBr5 and TgCTBr16 strains showed biological differences. Histopathologic analysis revealed liver and lungs to be the most affected organs, and the pattern of tissue injury was similar to that found in mice inoculated perorally with strains belonging to clonal genotypes. However, there was a variation in the intensity of ileum lesions according to T. gondii strain and mouse lineage. C57BL/6 mice showed higher susceptibility than BALB/c for histological lesions. Taken together, these results revealed that the pathogenesis of T. gondii strains belonging to atypical genotypes can induce similar tissue damage to those from clonal genotypes, although intrinsic aspects of the strains seem critical to the induction of ileitis in the infected host.
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Sepúlveda-arias JC, Gómez-marin JE, Bobić B, Naranjo-galvis CA, Djurković-djaković O. Toxoplasmosis as a travel risk. Travel Med Infect Dis 2014; 12:592-601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Paştiu AI, Ajzenberg D, Györke A, Şuteu O, Balea A, Rosenthal BM, Kalmár Z, Domşa C, Cozma V. Traditional goat husbandry may substantially contribute to human toxoplasmosis exposure. J Parasitol 2014; 101:45-9. [PMID: 25003793 DOI: 10.1645/13-483.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Raising goats in settings that are highly contaminated with oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii may contribute significantly to human exposure to this zoonotic parasite. Increasing consumption of young goats in countries where goats are frequently reared in backyards that are also homes to cats (the definitive host of this parasite) elevates such concern. To date, there has been little attention to either the prevalence or genotypic characteristics of T. gondii isolates in young ruminant food animals in Europe. Here, we estimated the prevalence of T. gondii goat-kids raised in backyards and slaughtered for human consumption during Easter. We collected 181 paired samples of serum and diaphragm. Serum samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies against T. gondii , and muscle tissues were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction to detect T. gondii DNA. Thirty-two diaphragm samples were also bioassayed in mice, and the isolates were genotyped using microsatellite markers. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in goat-kids was 33.1% (60/181; 95% confidence interval [CI] 26.3-40.5%), and T. gondii DNA was found in 6.1% (11/181; 95% CI 3.1-10.6) of the diaphragm samples. We isolated the parasite from 2 of 32 goat-kids, and the T. gondii strains belonged to genotype II. The results showed that 1/3 of 3-mo-old goats may be infected with T. gondii, and their consumption during Easter (as barbecue) may seriously compromise food safety as a result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamaria I Paştiu
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Department, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, cod 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Marković M, Ivović V, Štajner T, Djokić V, Klun I, Bobić B, Nikolić A, Djurković-djaković O. Evidence for genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in selected intermediate hosts in Serbia. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 37:173-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Štajner T, Vasiljević Z, Vujić D, Marković M, Ristić G, Mićić D, Pašić S, Ivović V, Ajzenberg D, Djurković-Djaković O. Atypical strain of Toxoplasma gondii causing fatal reactivation after hematopoietic stem cell transplantion in a patient with an underlying immunological deficiency. J Clin Microbiol 2013; 51:2686-90. [PMID: 23761151 PMCID: PMC3719651 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01077-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In immunocompromized patients, including hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, life-threatening toxoplasmosis may result from reactivation of previous infection. We report a case of severe disseminated toxoplasmosis that developed early after allogeneic HSCT for T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma in a 15-year-old Toxoplasma gondii-seropositive boy with Nijmegen breakage syndrome, a rare genetic DNA repair disorder associated with immunodeficiency. The donor was the patient's HLA-identical brother. Prophylaxis with cotrimoxazole was discontinued a day before the HSCT procedure. Signs of lung infection appeared as early as day 14 post-HSCT. The presence of tachyzoite-like structures on Giemsa-stained bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid smears suggested toxoplasmosis. Real-time PCR targeted at the T. gondii AF146527 gene revealed extremely high parasite burdens in both blood and BAL fluid. Although immediate introduction of specific treatment resulted in a marked reduction of the parasite load and transient clinical improvement, the patient deteriorated and died of multiple organ failure on day 39 post-HSCT. Direct genotyping of T. gondii DNA from blood and BAL fluid with the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method revealed type II alleles with SAG1, SAG2, and GRA6 markers but alleles of both type I and type II with GRA7. Additional analysis with 15 microsatellite markers showed that the T. gondii DNA was atypical and genetically divergent from that of the clonal type I, II, and III strains. This is the first report of increased clinical severity of toxoplasmosis associated with an atypical strain in the setting of immunosuppression, which emphasizes the need to diagnose and monitor toxoplasmosis by quantitative molecular methods in cases of reactivation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Štajner
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center for Parasitic Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorica Vasiljević
- Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia Dr Vukan Čupić, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana Vujić
- Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia Dr Vukan Čupić, Belgrade, Serbia
- School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Marković
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center for Parasitic Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Goran Ristić
- Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia Dr Vukan Čupić, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragan Mićić
- Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia Dr Vukan Čupić, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Srdjan Pašić
- Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia Dr Vukan Čupić, Belgrade, Serbia
- School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Ivović
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center for Parasitic Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Daniel Ajzenberg
- Centre National de Référence (CNR) Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center (BRC), Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges, France
- INSERM UMR 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Center for Parasitic Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Costache CA, Colosi HA, Blaga L, Györke A, Paştiu AI, Colosi IA, Ajzenberg D. First isolation and genetic characterization of a Toxoplasma gondii strain from a symptomatic human case of congenital toxoplasmosis in Romania. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 20:11. [PMID: 23537840 PMCID: PMC3718531 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2013011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Very limited data exists on the genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii from Eastern Europe. We present the first Romanian case of symptomatic congenital toxoplasmosis in which the T. gondii strain was isolated after inoculation in mice of a cerebrospinal fluid sample from a living neonate. The T. gondii strain was genotyped with 15 microsatellite markers distributed on 10 of the 14 chromosomes of T. gondii. The strain had a type II genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Anca Costache
- Department of Microbiology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur street, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania
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Kovačević-Pavićević D, Radosavljević A, Ilić A, Kovačević I, Djurković-Djaković O. Clinical pattern of ocular toxoplasmosis treated in a referral centre in Serbia. Eye (Lond) 2012; 26:723-8. [PMID: 22361847 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2012.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To analyze the clinical pattern of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in a referral centre in Serbia. PATIENTS AND METHODS The medical records of consecutive patients admitted for OT to the single referral centre for uveitis in Serbia between 2006 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. OT was diagnosed on the basis of typical fundus lesions and positive serology for Toxoplasma. RESULTS In a total of 457 uveitis patients, OT was the third leading cause, with 59 patients (12.9%). Most OT cases (73%) were monocular. An active primary retinal lesion was observed in 36% and recurrent OT in 64% patients. Localization of lesions was central/paracentral (44%), juxtapapillar (27%), peripheral (19%), and multifocal (10%). Other ocular manifestations of inflammation included vitritis (44%), anterior uveitis (19%), and retinal vasculitis (10%). Complications included choroidal neovascularization in two and exudative retinal detachment with cataract, glaucoma, and cystoid macular oedema in one patient each. The detection of Toxoplasma-specific IgM antibodies in a single patient indicates a low rate of OT concomitant with acute infection. After treatment, the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) increased significantly. However, 14 (24%) patients ended up legally blind in the affected eye, of which 2 (3%) with bilateral blindness, all with a very poor BCVA (0.047 ± 0.055) at presentation. Visual impairment and treatment outcome were both associated with central localization of lesions (P<0.0001 and P=0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION OT is a significant cause of posterior uveitis in Serbia. Patients should be aware of the recurring nature of OT and react immediately if symptoms occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Kovačević-Pavićević
- Uveitis Department, Clinic for Eye Diseases, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
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Milovanović I, Vujanić M, Klun I, Bobić B, Nikolić A, Ivović V, Trbovich AM, Djurković-Djaković O. Toxoplasma gondii infection induces lipid metabolism alterations in the murine host. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2010; 104:175-8. [PMID: 19430640 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762009000200008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2008] [Accepted: 02/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host lipids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii infection. To determine if Toxoplasma infection influences the lipid status in the normal host, we assessed serum lipids of Swiss-Webster mice during infection with the BGD-1 strain (type-2) at a series of time points. Mice were bled at days zero and 42 post-infection, and subgroups were additionally bled on alternating weeks (model 1), or sacrificed at days zero, 14 and 42 (model 2) for the measurement of total cholesterol (Chl), high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides and adiponectin. At day 42, brains were harvested for cyst enumeration. A significant decrease (p = 0.02) in HDL and total Chl was first noted in infected vs. control mice at day 14 and persisted to day 42 (p = 0.013). Conversely, LDL was unaltered until day 42, when it increased (p = 0.043). Serum LDL levels at day 42 correlated only with cyst counts of above 300 (found in 44% mice), while the change in HDL between days zero and 42 correlated with both the overall mean cyst count (p = 0.041) and cyst counts above 300 (p = 0.044). Calculated per cyst, this decrease in HDL in individual animals ranged from 0.1-17 micromol/L, with a mean of 2.43 +/- 4.14 micromol/L. Serum adiponectin levels remained similar between infected and control mice throughout the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Milovanović
- Institute of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Sousa S, Ajzenberg D, Marle M, Aubert D, Villena I, da Costa JC, Dardé ML. Selection of polymorphic peptides from GRA6 and GRA7 sequences of Toxoplasma gondii strains to be used in serotyping. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2009; 16:1158-69. [PMID: 19494084 DOI: 10.1128/CVI.00092-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii isolates obtained from geographical environments other than Europe and North America revealed the existence of atypical strains that are not included in the three archetypal clonal lineages (lineages I, II, and III). GRA6 and GRA7 are polymorphic genes that have been used for the genotyping of Toxoplasma. The coding regions of GRA6 and GRA7 from 49 nonarchetypal strains were sequenced and compared with the sequences of type I, II, and III reference strains. Eighteen and 10 different amino acid sequences were found for GRA6 and GRA7, respectively. The polymorphisms found between the different sequences were analyzed, with the objective of defining peptides to be used for the serotyping of Toxoplasma infections. Two peptides specific for clonal lineages I and III (peptides GRA7I and GRA7III, respectively) were selected from the GRA7 locus. Three peptides specific for some atypical strains (peptides Am6, Af6, and Am7) were selected from both the GRA6 and the GRA7 loci. Serum samples from humans infected with Toxoplasma strains of known genotypes were serotyped with the selected peptides. Peptide GRA7III seems to be a good candidate for the serotyping of infections caused by type III strains. Peptide GRA7I had a very low sensitivity. Peptides Am6 and Af6 had low specificities, since they reacted with serum samples from patients infected with strains belonging to the three archetypal lineages. Although peptide Am7 was specific, it had low sensitivity.
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Prestrud KW, Asbakk K, Mørk T, Fuglei E, Tryland M, Su C. Direct high-resolution genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in the remote arctic Svalbard archipelago reveals widespread clonal Type II lineage. Vet Parasitol 2008; 158:121-8. [PMID: 18922642 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2008] [Revised: 08/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii genotypes in hosts living in remote, isolated regions is important for elucidating the population structure and transmission mode of this parasite. Herein, we report the results of direct genotyping of T. gondii in brain tissue of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from the remote, virtually cat-free, high arctic islands of Svalbard. DNA extracts from brains of 167 seropositive arctic foxes (including four cases of fatal toxoplasmosis) and 11 seronegative arctic foxes were genotyped at 10 loci (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, and Apico) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Of the 167 samples from seropositive foxes (including toxoplasmosis cases), 31 were genotyped at all 10 loci and 24 were genotyped at four to nine loci. To ensure confidence in T. gondii strain genotyping, samples for which less than four loci were genotyped were not considered positive. None of the 11 samples from seronegative foxes was positive for the 10 markers. Of the 55 samples that genotyped positively, 46 were of the Type II strain, 7 were of the Type III strain, and 2 were of atypical T. gondii strains. Five representative samples of the three genotypes were sequenced at loci SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, PK1, and UPRT-1. The DNA sequences confirmed the genotyping results. This study shows that the archetype Type II T. gondii strain, which is most widely distributed in North America and Europe, also predominates in arctic foxes on the Svalbard archipelago. This suggests that the T. gondii at this location originate from continental Europe and that transmission may be mediated by migrating birds. This study highlights the significance of long-distance transport of T. gondii and demonstrates that high-resolution genotyping protocols are useful for direct genetic studies of T. gondii when isolation of live parasites is infeasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Wear Prestrud
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Stakkevollveien 23, N-9010 Tromsø, Norway.
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Morisset S, Peyron F, Lobry JR, Garweg J, Ferrandiz J, Musset K, Gomez-Marin JE, de la Torre A, Demar M, Carme B, Mercier C, Garin JF, Cesbron-Delauw MF. Serotyping of Toxoplasma gondii: striking homogeneous pattern between symptomatic and asymptomatic infections within Europe and South America. Microbes Infect 2008; 10:742-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2008.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2007] [Revised: 03/25/2008] [Accepted: 04/02/2008] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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