title: Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Diabetic Patients Using the Nested PCR Assay via RE and B1 Genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that exists worldwide. Various techniques have been developed for T. gondii detection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was the detection of T. gondii in diabetic patients with RE and B1 genes and the comparison of these two genes for diagnosis using the nested-PCR assay method.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA samples from 205 diabetic patients who had been referred to the diabetes center of Ali Asghar hospital in Zahedan, Iran, were collected and analyzed using the nested-PCR assay method. Toxoplasma antibody data gathered using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method from a previous study was used to group patients. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18. The chi-square test was used for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the diabetic patients selected, the following results were obtained: 53 (IgG+, IgM+); 20 (IgG-, IgM+); 72 (IgG+, IgM-); and 60 (IgG-, IgM-). The nested-PCR detected the following: in the acute group, 21/53 (39.63%), 30/53 (56.60%) (IgM+, IgG+); in the chronic group, 40/72 (55.56%), 51/72 (70.83%), (IgG+, IgM-); in the false positive group, 18/20 (90%), 17/20 (85%) (IgM+, IgG-); and sero-negative samples of 38/60 (63.33%) and 60/ 41 (77.35%) for RE and B1 genes, respectively. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis showed positive in patients with diabetes in the B1 gene 139 (67.8%) and RE gene 117 (57.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that the B1 gene, more so than the RE gene, showed positive samples and can be used to detect toxoplasmosis, although the B1 gene, in comparison to the RE gene, did not show any superiority of molecular diagnosing capability. Results also showed that toxoplasma molecular detection methods can be used instead of routine serological detection methods in a clinical laboratory testing.
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saravani
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jafari Modrek
authors.affiliation: Pregnancy Help Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahrakipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekandarpour
keywords: B1; Diabetes; Nested-PCR; RE; Toxoplasma gondii