title: Prevalence of latent and reactivated Toxoplasma gondii parasites in HIV-patients from Uganda.
abstract: Untreated Toxoplasma gondii-infections are often fatal in AIDS-patients. Many African countries struck hard by HIV/AIDS exhibit a high seroprevalence of T. gondii, but the rate of reactivated parasites among African HIV-patients has never previously been determined. In this study, IgG-agglutination and PCR was used to analyse blood samples from 130 HIV-positive patients in Uganda. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 54% of the patients while 23% had parasites in the peripheral blood, which indicates active infection. Genotyping of the SAG2-locus revealed the type II allele for most disease-causing strains (60%), but all three SAG2-types was represented in our study population. Furthermore, one sample appeared to harbour a recombinant strain, with SAG2 type II but the type I-allele at the BTUB-gene. This study emphasizes the high prevalence of toxoplasmosis among Ugandan HIV-patients and also suggests that recombinant or atypical strains may be present in this part of the world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Mycology and Water & Environmental Microbiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: Deogratias H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kaddu-Mulindwa
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kironde
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C067547:surface antigen P22, Toxoplasma