Long-term impact of congenital toxoplasmosis on phenotypic and functional features of circulating leukocytes from infants one year after treatment onset.

Changes in immune response of children with congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) regarding infection evolution and therapeutic intervention was addressed. Infants with CT presented increased counts of monocytes, CD3CD16CD56, CD3CD56 and CD4 T-cells 1-year after treatment onset (TOXO). Smaller numbers of CD3CD16CD56 and TCRγδ T-cells were specifically observed in infants with retinochoroidal lesions (L(+)). When infants were classified based on the baseline status, expansion of CD3CD16CD56 and CD4 T-cells were observed in L(+) who had active, active/cicatricial or cicatricial lesions. Infants who had active or active/cicatricial lesions display augmented numbers of monocytes, CD3CD16CD56, CD3CD56, CD8DR and TCRγδ T-cells and those with active/cicatricial or cicatricial at baseline displayed increase in CD14CD64 monocytes. Moreover, all L(+) had increased IFN-γ and IL-10 CD4 T-cells, while L(-) had increased ratios of TNF, IFN-γ and IL-4 NK-cells upon antigen-specific stimulation. Persistent alterations in leukocytes in TOXO suggest long-term sequels in the immune system of infants with CT.