title: Biomarker analysis revealed distinct profiles of innate and adaptive immunity in infants with ocular lesions of congenital toxoplasmosis.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is the main infectious cause of human posterior retinochoroiditis, the most frequent clinical manifestation of congenital toxoplasmosis. This investigation was performed after neonatal screening to identify biomarkers of immunity associated with immunopathological features of the disease by flow cytometry. The study included infected infants without NRL and with retinochoroidal lesions (ARL, ACRL, and CRL) as well as noninfected individuals (NI). Our data demonstrated that leukocytosis, with increased monocytes and lymphocytes, was a relevant hematological biomarker of ARL. Immunophenotypic analysis also revealed expansion of CD14(+)CD16(+)HLA-DR(high) monocytes and CD56(dim) cytotoxic NK-cells in ARL. Moreover, augmented TCRγ δ (+) and CD8(+) T-cell counts were apparently good biomarkers of morbidity. Biomarker network analysis revealed that complex and intricated networks underscored the negative correlation of monocytes with NK- and B-cells in NRL. The remarkable lack of connections involving B-cells and a relevant shift of NK-cell connections from B-cells toward T-cells observed in ARL were outstanding. A tightly connected biomarker network was observed in CRL, with relevant connections of NK- and CD8(+) T-cells with a broad range of cell subsets. Our findings add novel elements to the current knowledge on the innate and adaptive immune responses in congenital toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson Silva
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Aguiar Vasconcelos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Samantha Ribeiro
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Béla
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 190, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gláucia Manzan Queiroz
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Oftalmologia e Otorrinolaringologia, Faculdade de Medicina da UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Vitor
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos-Santos
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Ações e Pesquisa em Apoio Diagnóstico (NUPAD), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 190, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Nélio
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Januário
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jordana G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Coelho-dos-Reis
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Santa Mônica, 38408-100 Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eloisa Amália Vieira
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Wagner Almeida
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Vitor
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Olindo Assis
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Martins-Filho
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Ações e Pesquisa em Apoio Diagnóstico (NUPAD), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 190, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers