title: Rapid Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Antigen in Experimentally Infected Mice by Dot- ELISA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide endemic disease. In congenitally infected infants and AIDS patients, toxoplasmosis causes high rates of morbidity and mortality. In these cases antibody detection is difficult; so detection of parasite or its components could be useful tool for early detection and following treatment of the infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three BALB/c mice were injected intra-peritoneal with 5×10(3) tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain, nine mice were sacrificed daily for 7 days. Fourteen mice were injected with phosphate buffer saline as control group. Dot-ELISA was performed for detection of T.gondii antigen in mice sera and capture - ELISA was done as golden standard assay too.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Toxoplasma gondii antigen was detected from day 2 in mice sera; 22% of mice sera on day 2, 33% on day 3,77% on day 4 and 100% on day 5 till their death on day 7 had shown antigenemia by dot - ELISA, no positive result was detected in control mice by dot- ELISA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dot-ELISA is a sensitive method for diagnosis of T. gondii infection in the animal model; also, this technique is more rapid and easy to perform method in comparison with capture-ELISA.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jafar Pour Azami
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keshavarz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shojaee