Author/Authors :
MOUSAVI, Parisa Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Public Health - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , MIRHENDI, Hossein Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Medicine - Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran , MOHEBALI, Mehdi Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Public Health - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , SHOJAEE, Saeedeh Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Public Health - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , KESHAVARZ VALIAN, Hossein Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Public Health - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , FALLAHI, Shirzad Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran , MAMISHI, Setareh Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
Background: Toxoplasma gondii, cause severe medical complications in infants and immune-
compromised individuals. As using early, sensitive and rapid technique has major
in diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, the present study was aimed to detect parasite by using
from repetitive element (RE) and B1genes, in blood samples of seropositive immunocompromised
patients and pregnant women.
Methods: A total of 110 peripheral blood samples were collected from seropositive
cases with anti-T. gondii antibodies, including immunocompromised patients and pregnant
women. DNA was extracted by a commercial kit and subjected to TaqMan probebased
real-time PCR assay by using primers and probes specific for RE and B1 genes,
separately. The data were analyzed by Kappa test and SPSS-22 software.
Results: In the pregnant women, 17 (68%) and 14 (56%) samples from 25 IgM+/
IgG+ cases and, 7 (25%) and 6 (21.4%) samples from 28 IgG+/IgM- cases were positive
by RE and B1 real time PCR, respectively. Likewise, in immunocompromised
group, 20 (66.6%) and 17 (56.6%) samples from 30 IgM+/ IgG+ cases and 2 (7.4%)
and 2 (7.4%) samples from 27 IgG+/ IgM- cases were positive by RE and B1 real time
PCR, respectively.
Conclusion: Probe-based real time PCR assay is a quantitative approach for early diagnosis
of T. gondii infection in clinical samples. Moreover, this method can be more
appropriate in diagnosis of acute and reactivated toxoplasmosis. In addition our results
indicated that RE gene is more sensitive than B1 gene.
Keywords :
Immunocompromised patients , Pregnant women , RE gene , B1 gene , TaqMan fluorescent probe
