Toxoplasma gondii IgG Seroprevalence in Patients with HIV/AIDS

• Published in: Türkiye parazitolojii dergisi Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 175 - 179
• Main Authors: Senoglu, Sevtap, Yesilbag, Zuhal, Altuntas Aydin, Ozlem, Kumbasar Karaosmanoglu, Hayat, Kart Yasar, Kadriye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey Galenos Publishing House 01-09-2018
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Aged; AIDS; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; CD4 antigen; Encephalitis; Female; HIV; HIV Infections; Homosexuality, Male; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M; Infections; Latent infection; Lymphocytes T; Male; Middle Aged; Opportunist infection; Opportunistic Infections - blood; Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; Opportunistic Infections - parasitology; Prophylaxis; Protozoa; Retrospective Studies; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis - blood; Toxoplasmosis - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis - parasitology; Turkey - epidemiology; Western blotting; Turkey
• ISSN: 2146-3077; 1300-6320; 2146-3077
• DOI: 10.5152/tpd.2018.5706

Toxoplasmosis is a common opportunistic infection in patients with HIV/AIDS and may cause life-threatening clinical courses, such as encephalitis and pneumonia.
Patients admitted between January 2006 and August 2017 with anti-HIV positivity confirmed by Western blotting were included in the study. Demographic data, CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts, and Toxoplasma gondii IgG/IgM levels were retrospectively obtained from patient records.
T. gondii IgM positivity was not detected in patients, whereas T. gondii IgG positivity was detected in 267 (43.5%) patients. The T. gondii IgG positivity rate was 37.6% in men who had sex with men (MSM) and 48.4% in heterosexual patients. Furthermore, 42.6% of MSM and 21% of heterosexual patients were university graduates, of which T. gondii IgG positivity was detected in only 33.6% of MSM patients and 42.3% of heterosexual patients.
In our study, high seronegativity was remarkable in MSM patients, particularly those who were highly educated, thus emphasizing the importance of prevention of primary infection in seronegative patients; necessity of prophylaxis in appropriate patients due to encephalitis, which has a high mortality rate and almost always develops after a latent infection; and necessity of screening for toxoplasmosis seropositivity at the time of diagnosis.