title: Circulating antigen of Toxoplasma gondii in patients with AIDS: significance of detection and structural properties.
abstract: 232 sera and 40 cerebrospinal fluid samples of altogether 125 patients in stages III or IV of a HIV-infection were tested for circulating antigen of Toxoplasma gondii by means of a three-layer enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Circulating antigen was detected in 32 sera of 20 patients (= 16% of all persons investigated). These ELISA results were reexamined by an Immunoblot following a SDS-PAGE and confirmed in most cases. In addition, this test system led to a partial characterization of the circulating antigen; it consists of at least two proteins with atomic mass units of 27 and 57 kd respectively. The antigenemia was correlated with IgG- and IgM-antibody titres, with clinical symptoms, and with pathological findings also. Our results indicate that the detection of circulating antigen in sera offers a rapid and efficient method for the diagnosis of an acute toxoplasmosis in AIDS-patients.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Parasitologie, Universität Wien.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aspöck
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flamm
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan