Incidence of toxoplasmosis in patients with cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
It is known that toxoplasmosis rarely leads to various liver pathologies, most common of which is granulomatose hepatitis in patients having normal immune systems. Patients who have cirrhosis of the liver are subject to a variety of cellular as well as humoral immunity disorders. Therefore, it may be considered that toxoplasmosis can cause more frequent and more severe diseases in patients with cirrhosis and is capable of changing the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of toxoplasmosis in patients with cirrhosis.


METHODS
Serum samples were taken from 108 patients with cirrhosis under observation in the Hepatology Polyclinic of the Gastroenterology Clinic, and a control group made up of 50 healthy blood donors. IFAT and ELISA methods were used to investigate the IgG and IgM antibodies, which had developed from these sera.


RESULTS
Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibody positivity was found in 74 (68.5%) of the 108 cirrhotic patients and 24 (48%) of the 50 people in the control group. The difference between them was significant (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, it was found that the toxoplasma sero-prevalence in the cirrhotic patients in this study was higher. Cirrhotic patients are likely to form a toxoplasma risk group. More detailed studies are needed on this subject.
Ustun
Sebnem
S
Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Ege, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. sustun@med.ege.edu.tr
Aksoy
Umit
U
Dagci
Hande
H
Ersoz
Galip
G
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan