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Usefulness of the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antigens in AIDS patients

Utilidad de la detección de antígenos de Toxoplasma gondii en pacientes con SIDA

Abstracts

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is a mayor cause of central nervous system infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 56 of 79 patients with AIDS (71%), in the present study. Fourteen out of 57 seropositive patients developed TF (25%) and had Toxoplasma gondii antigen detected in their urine. For this, most of them received an effective therapy, with the subsequent disappearance of the symptoms and discontinuity of excretion of the T. gondii antigens. Our results suggest that the monitoring of T. gondii antigen in the urine of AIDS patients may be useful to decide on the proper time for therapy, as well as to avoid the beginning of neurologic signs in these patients.

T. gondii; toxoplasmic encephalitis; AIDS


La Encefalitis Toxoplásmica (ET) es la más importante complicación infecciosa del Sistema Nervioso Central en pacientes de SIDA. Anticuerpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii fueron detectados en 57 de 79 pacientes de SIDA (71%). De estos seropositivos, desarrollaron la enfermedad (ET) 14 (25%), en los que coincidentemente se detectó la presencia de antígeno del parásito en orina y por tanto fueron objeto de una terapia efectiva, con la subsecuente desaparición de los sintomas y de los antígenos excretados. Por los resultados del presente trabajo, consideramos lo útil de monitorear en estos pacientes la presencia de antígenos de T. gondii con el objetivo de aplicar oportunamente métodos quimoprofilácticos que eviten el surgimiento de manifestaciones neurológicas en estos pacientes.


IMMUNOLOGY

Usefulness of the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antigens in AIDS patients

Utilidad de la detección de antígenos de Toxoplasma gondii en pacientes con SIDA

Alberto Fachado; Luis Fonte; Esteban Alberti; Pablo Hadad; Lisset Fonseca; Rodolfo Machin; Carlos Finlay

Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kouri", Havana City, Cuba

Correspondence to Correspondence to: Lic. Alberto Fachado Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kouri" Autopista Novia del Mediodia Km 6 e/ Autopista Nacional y Carretera Central (N/251) Lisa-Habana-Cuba

SUMMARY

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is a mayor cause of central nervous system infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 56 of 79 patients with AIDS (71%), in the present study. Fourteen out of 57 seropositive patients developed TF (25%) and had Toxoplasma gondii antigen detected in their urine. For this, most of them received an effective therapy, with the subsequent disappearance of the symptoms and discontinuity of excretion of the T. gondii antigens.

Our results suggest that the monitoring of T. gondii antigen in the urine of AIDS patients may be useful to decide on the proper time for therapy, as well as to avoid the beginning of neurologic signs in these patients.

Keywords:T. gondii; toxoplasmic encephalitis; AIDS.

RESUMEN

La Encefalitis Toxoplásmica (ET) es la más importante complicación infecciosa del Sistema Nervioso Central en pacientes de SIDA. Anticuerpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii fueron detectados en 57 de 79 pacientes de SIDA (71%). De estos seropositivos, desarrollaron la enfermedad (ET) 14 (25%), en los que coincidentemente se detectó la presencia de antígeno del parásito en orina y por tanto fueron objeto de una terapia efectiva, con la subsecuente desaparición de los sintomas y de los antígenos excretados. Por los resultados del presente trabajo, consideramos lo útil de monitorear en estos pacientes la presencia de antígenos de T. gondii con el objetivo de aplicar oportunamente métodos quimoprofilácticos que eviten el surgimiento de manifestaciones neurológicas en estos pacientes.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponible sólo en PDF.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank doctors Rafael Martínez, Imirse Fraga and Carlos Millán for their valuable professional support for the realization of this paper.

Recebido para publicação em 14/06/1993.

Aceito para publicação em 19/08/1994.

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  • Correspondence to:

    Lic. Alberto Fachado
    Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kouri"
    Autopista Novia del Mediodia Km 6 e/ Autopista Nacional y Carretera Central (N/251)
    Lisa-Habana-Cuba
  • Publication Dates

    • Publication in this collection
      05 July 2006
    • Date of issue
      Dec 1994

    History

    • Accepted
      19 Aug 1994
    • Received
      14 June 1993
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