Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Int Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep;40(9):2151-2157. doi: 10.1007/s10792-020-01393-6. Epub 2020 May 18.
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can cause ocular toxoplasmosis with most complications such as retinal detachment. Toxocara parasite, round worm, found in dogs and cats appears as larva migrans in humans can cause serious ocular complications such as debilitating vision loss.In Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran, T. gondii infection has been reported to be significant but toxocariasis was rare. However, the frequency of ocular toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis has not been studied in this area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ocular toxoplasmosis and ocular toxocariasis using serological and molecular methods.
In this case control study, 310 patients were identified by ophthalmologist as ocular toxoplasmosis and then 5 cc of venous blood samples were taken from each of them. Serum samples and buffy coat were prepared and ELISA was used to detect IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and the molecular PCR was used to detect Toxoplasma DNA parasite in buffy coats. ELISA test was used to detect of IgG anti-Toxocara antibodies.
Totally, for ocular toxoplasmosis, 130 (41.93%) of 310 patients were positive by ELISA, of them 121 (39%) IgG positive and nine (2.9%) IgM positive were diagnosed. Of 121 cases with IgG, 119 (98.35%) were diagnosed with high IgG avidity indicating chronic phase of the infection. For ocular toxocariasis evaluation, antibodies against Toxocara were not detected in any of the samples. By PCR molecular method, 11 out of 310 patients (3.54%) had T. gondii DNA in the blood. In control, in total, 21 cases were detected positive by serology method, which showed a significant difference with the results of the case group(P < 0.05).By PCR method, only three cases showed positive which also indicated significant difference with result of case group (3 vs 9) (P < 0.05). In the control group, also no anti-toxocara antibodies were found.
It can be concluded that T. gondii in Khuzestan province as the etiologic agent of ocular toxoplasmosis and physicians should consider diagnostic methods for identifying the infection when they visit the patients.
刚地弓形虫是一种细胞内的原生动物寄生虫，可导致大多数并发症，如视网膜脱离的眼弓形体病。在狗和猫中发现的寄生虫，圆形蠕虫，幼虫移行症出现在人类中会导致严重的眼部并发症，如视力丧失。在伊朗西南部的胡齐斯坦省，据报道，刚地弓形虫感染很严重，但旋毛虫病很少见。然而，在该地区尚未研究眼部弓形体病和旋毛虫病的发病率。本研究旨在通过血清学和分子方法评估眼部弓形体病和眼部旋毛虫病。
在这项病例对照研究中，由眼科医生确定 310 名患者为眼部弓形体病，然后从每位患者中抽取 5 毫升静脉血样本。制备血清样本和白细胞层，并用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测 IgG 和 IgM 抗弓形虫抗体，用分子 PCR 检测白细胞层中的弓形虫寄生虫 DNA。用 ELISA 试验检测抗旋毛虫 IgG 抗体。
共有 310 名患者中的 130 名（41.93%）通过 ELISA 呈阳性，其中 121 名（39%）IgG 阳性，9 名（2.9%）IgM 阳性。在 121 例 IgG 阳性患者中，有 119 例（98.35%）被诊断为高 IgG 亲和力，表明处于感染的慢性期。在眼部旋毛虫病的评估中，在任何样本中均未检测到针对旋毛虫的抗体。通过分子 PCR 方法，在 310 名患者中有 11 名（3.54%）的血液中存在弓形虫 DNA。在对照组中，共有 21 例通过血清学方法检测为阳性，与病例组的结果有显著差异（P < 0.05）。通过 PCR 方法，仅 3 例呈阳性，与病例组的结果也有显著差异（3 对 9）（P < 0.05）。在对照组中，也未发现抗旋毛虫抗体。
可以得出结论，在胡齐斯坦省，刚地弓形虫是眼部弓形体病的病原体，医生在为患者就诊时应考虑识别感染的诊断方法。
