Toxoplasma gondii Antibody in HIV-Infected Persons
YAOWALARK SUKTHANA, D.V.M., M.D., M.C.T.M.*,
THAIYOOTH CHINTANA, D.V.M., M.P.H.*,
AMORN LEKKLA, M.P.H.*
Affiliation : *Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
AbstractToxoplasmosis in an immunocompromised host was not documented in Thailand
until 1992 when HIV I AIDS infection became pandemic. Patients with toxoplasmic encephalitis
and cerebral abscess were recorded, particularly from the northern part of the country. However,
data on the prevalence of the disease in HIV/AIDS patients is not yet available. In this study the
authors determine the prevalence of T.gondii antibody in HIV persons. During a two-year period 312
serum samples of which 190 were HIV positive and the remaining samples were negative for
HIV were tested. In the HIV positive group, 44 samples (23.2%) were positive for toxoplasma
IgG antibody, whilst in the HIV negative group 36 samples (29.5%) were positive. All antibody
titres found were not higher than 1:64. There is no significant difference of toxoplasma lgG
antibody in HIV positive and HIV negative persons (p=0.25). Among the HIV positive and
T.gondii antibody positive group, 19 out of 44 persons (43.2%) had symptoms and signs
of acute toxoplasmosis involving the eye and/ or the central nervous system. Due to the high
reactivation rate, the authors propose that all HIV-infected persons should be tested for T.gondii
antibody and prophylactic treatment of opportunistic infection from T.gondii should be consi-
dered in those with positive results.
Keywords : HIV/AIDS, Toxoplasmosis, Prevalence
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