Prevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii Infection in Brain and Heart by Immunohistochemistry in a Hospital-based Autopsy Series in Durango, Mexico

Overview

Journal Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp)

Publisher Akademiai Kiado

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2015 Jul 18

PMID 26185682

Citations 9

Authors

Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel

Luis Francisco Sanchez-Anguiano

Alejandra Mendoza-Larios

Jesus Hernandez-Tinoco

Jose Francisco Perez-Ochoa

Elizabeth Irasema Antuna-Salcido

Elizabeth Rabago-Sanchez

Oliver Liesenfeld

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The presence of tissue cysts of Toxoplasma gondii has only poorly been investigated in autopsy series. We determined the presence of T. gondii cysts in a series of 51 autopsies in a public hospital using immunohistochemistry of brain and heart tissues. The association of tissue cysts with the general characteristics of the autopsy cases was also investigated. Of the 51 cases studied, five (9.8%) were positive by immunohistochemistry for T. gondii cysts in the brain. None of the heart specimens was positive for T. gondii cysts. The presence of T. gondii cysts in brains did not vary with age, sex, birthplace, residence, education, occupation, or the presence of pathology in the brain. In contrast, multivariate analysis showed that the presence of T. gondii cysts was associated with undernourishment (OR = 33.90; 95% CI: 2.82-406.32; P = 0.005). We demonstrated cerebral T. gondii cysts in an autopsy series in Durango City, Mexico. Results suggest that T. gondii can be more readily found in brain than in heart of infected individuals. This is the first report of an association between the presence of T. gondii in brains and undernourishment.

Citing Articles

Fatal Toxoplasmosis in Red Kangaroos () in East China.

Gong H, Wang Q, Jin Y, Qiu S, Chen Z, Han X Pathogens. 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 40005577 PMC: 11858611. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens14020202.

Toxoplasma gondii infection of the central nervous system and suicide: A case-control study of decedents.

Mendoza-Larios L, Garcia-Dolores F, Sanchez-Anguiano L, Antuna-Salcido E, Hernandez-Tinoco J, Rocha-Salais A Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp). 2023; 13(3):77-82.

PMID: 37982867 PMC: 10668923. DOI: 10.1556/1886.2023.00033.

Impact of Plant-Based Foods and Nutraceuticals on Cysts: Nutritional Therapy as a Viable Approach for Managing Chronic Brain Toxoplasmosis.

Tan S, Tong W, Vyas A Front Nutr. 2022; 9:827286.

PMID: 35284438 PMC: 8914227. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.827286.

Association between Infection in Brain and a History of Depression in Suicide Decedents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Alvarado-Esquivel C, Mendoza-Larios L, Garcia-Dolores F, Sanchez-Anguiano L, Antuna-Salcido E, Hernandez-Tinoco J Pathogens. 2021; 10(10).

PMID: 34684262 PMC: 8539687. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101313.

A pathway to cure chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii through immunological intervention.

Suzuki Y Parasitol Int. 2020; 81:102259.

PMID: 33271362 PMC: 7878330. DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102259.

References

Gajewski P, Falkenstein M, Hengstler J, Golka K . Toxoplasma gondii impairs memory in infected seniors. Brain Behav Immun. 2013; 36:193-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.11.019. View

Jautzke G, Sell M, Thalmann U, Janitschke K, Iglesias J, Schurmann B . [Immunohistochemical demonstration of extracerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS]. Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol. 1991; 75:185-8. View

Alvarado-Esquivel C, Liesenfeld O, Burciaga-Lopez B, Ramos-Nevarez A, Estrada-Martinez S, Cerrillo-Soto S . Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in elderly people in a northern Mexican city. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2012; 12(7):568-74. DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0875. View

Neuen-Jacob E, Figge C, Arendt G, Wendtland B, Jacob B, WECHSLER W . Neuropathological studies in the brains of AIDS patients with opportunistic diseases. Int J Legal Med. 1993; 105(6):339-50. DOI: 10.1007/BF01222119. View

Blanchard N, Dunay I, Schluter D . Persistence of Toxoplasma gondii in the central nervous system: a fine-tuned balance between the parasite, the brain and the immune system. Parasite Immunol. 2015; 37(3):150-8. DOI: 10.1111/pim.12173. View

Hofman P, Bernard E, Michiels J, Thyss A, Le Fichoux Y, LOUBIERE R . Extracerebral toxoplasmosis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Pathol Res Pract. 1993; 189(8):894-901. DOI: 10.1016/S0344-0338(11)81101-5. View

Kamerkar S, Davis P . Toxoplasma on the brain: understanding host-pathogen interactions in chronic CNS infection. J Parasitol Res. 2012; 2012:589295. PMC: 3321570. DOI: 10.1155/2012/589295. View

Montoya J, Liesenfeld O . Toxoplasmosis. Lancet. 2004; 363(9425):1965-76. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16412-X. View

Pergola G, Cascone A, Russo M . Acute pericarditis and myocarditis by Toxoplasma gondii in an immunocompetent young man: a case report. Infez Med. 2010; 18(1):48-52. View

10.

Falangola M, Petito C . Choroid plexus infection in cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients. Neurology. 1993; 43(10):2035-40. DOI: 10.1212/wnl.43.10.2035. View

11.

Arling T, Yolken R, Lapidus M, Langenberg P, Dickerson F, Zimmerman S . Toxoplasma gondii antibody titers and history of suicide attempts in patients with recurrent mood disorders. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2009; 197(12):905-8. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181c29a23. View

12.

Flegr J . How and why Toxoplasma makes us crazy. Trends Parasitol. 2013; 29(4):156-63. DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2013.01.007. View

13.

Weiss L, Dubey J . Toxoplasmosis: A history of clinical observations. Int J Parasitol. 2009; 39(8):895-901. PMC: 2704023. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.02.004. View

14.

Hill D, Chirukandoth S, Dubey J . Biology and epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in man and animals. Anim Health Res Rev. 2005; 6(1):41-61. DOI: 10.1079/ahr2005100. View

15.

Dixit P, Umap P, Bardale R . Toxoplasma myocarditis presenting as myocardial infarction. Indian J Med Sci. 2007; 61(4):218-20. View

16.

Alvarado-Esquivel C, Cruz-Magallanes H, Esquivel-Cruz R, Estrada-Martinez S, Rivas-Gonzalez M, Liesenfeld O . Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in human adults from three rural communities in Durango State, Mexico. J Parasitol. 2008; 94(4):811-6. DOI: 10.1645/GE-1524.1. View

17.

Mroczek-Czernecka D, Rostoff P, Piwowarska W . [Acute toxoplasmic perimyocarditis in a 67-year-old HIV-negative woman--a case report]. Przegl Lek. 2006; 63(2):100-3. View

18.

Smith J . A ubiquitous intracellular parasite: the cellular biology of Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol. 1995; 25(11):1301-9. DOI: 10.1016/0020-7519(95)00067-c. View

19.

McConkey G, Martin H, Bristow G, Webster J . Toxoplasma gondii infection and behaviour - location, location, location?. J Exp Biol. 2012; 216(Pt 1):113-9. PMC: 3515035. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.074153. View

20.

Alvarado-Esquivel C, Estrada-Martinez S, Pizarro-Villalobos H, Arce-Quinones M, Liesenfeld O, Dubey J . Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in general population in a northern Mexican city. J Parasitol. 2011; 97(1):40-3. DOI: 10.1645/GE-2612.1. View