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Frontiers in Medicine 2024This study aimed to investigate the association between age, immune response, and clinical presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT).
PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate the association between age, immune response, and clinical presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT).
DESIGN
This was a monocentric, retrospective, observational cohort study.
METHODS
A review of the medical records of patients with active OT at the Uveitis Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin, was conducted. Baseline parameters included age at presentation, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), size and location of active lesions, inflammatory activity, antibody index (AI), and complications of intraocular inflammation. The data were presented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). The level of significance was set at a -value of <0.05.
RESULTS
Between 1998 and 2019, 290 patients with active OT were diagnosed at our tertiary reference center. The mean age of the participants was 37.7 ± 17.1 years, 53.8% of them were female individuals, and 195 patients (70.9%) showed recurrent disease. Older age was associated with lower baseline visual acuity ( = 0.043), poor visual outcome ( = 0.019), increased inflammatory activity ( < 0.005), and larger retinal lesions ( < 0.005). Older patients presented a lower AI (<35 years: 45.1 ± 82.7, median: 12.1; ≥35 years: 18.6 ± 50.5, median: 5.8; = 0.046), confirmed by a decrease in AI with increasing age ( = 0.045; = 0.024). Finally, AI was correlated with lesion size (multiple linear regression analysis: = 0.043). Macular involvement (24.3% of patients) was positively correlated with complications (macular/peripapillary edema and retinal detachment, < 0.005) and poor visual outcome ( < 0.005) and was negatively correlated with inflammatory activity ( < 0.005).
CONCLUSION
We found a strong and clinically relevant impact of age on the clinical presentation and course of OT. While an unspecific inflammatory response increased with age, the specific, local humoral immune response declined. These findings are well in line with the concept of immunosenescence and inflammaging in uveitis.
PubMed: 38504919
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1311145 -
Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia 2024To describe a 2019 acute toxoplasmosis outbreak in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and to evaluate the laboratory serological profile for toxoplasmosis for three...
PURPOSE
To describe a 2019 acute toxoplasmosis outbreak in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and to evaluate the laboratory serological profile for toxoplasmosis for three consecutive years. The ophthalmological manifestations of the patients involved in the outbreak were also studied.
METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive study of a toxoplasmosis outbreak in São Paulo, Brazil, between February and May 2019. Epidemiological data were described, as were the observed ocular manifestations. As part of this study the number of patients with positive IgM toxoplasmosis serology was obtained from a large laboratory network (DASA) for three consecutive years, including the year of the outbreak (2018, 2019, 2020).
RESULTS
Eighty-three individuals were identified in the outbreak and two clusters were studied. The clinical picture of at least 77% of the patients, the epidemiological analysis, and the short incubation period (5-8 days) suggested contamination by oocysts. Serological laboratory data analysis revealed an increase of positive toxoplasmosis IgM in 2019 of 73% compared to the previous year. Ophthalmological examination revealed that at least 4.8% of the patients developed toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis, none of whom had been treated during the acute systemic disease.
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate vegetable contamination as the possible source of this outbreak, a high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in São Paulo during the outbreak period, and a drop in the number of tests during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retinochoroiditis was observed in at least 4.8% of the cases. We confirm the need to implement effective means for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. This may involve raising awareness among the population of the importance of vegetable hygiene, and improved quality control of food and water.
Topics: Humans; Brazil; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pandemics; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular; Disease Outbreaks; Acute Disease; Immunoglobulin M
PubMed: 38537044
DOI: 10.5935/0004-2749.2022-0374 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Nov 2020In 2015, an outbreak of presumed waterborne toxoplasmosis occurred in Gouveia, Brazil. We conducted a 3-year prospective study on a cohort of 52 patients from this...
In 2015, an outbreak of presumed waterborne toxoplasmosis occurred in Gouveia, Brazil. We conducted a 3-year prospective study on a cohort of 52 patients from this outbreak, collected clinical and multimodal imaging findings, and determined risk factors for ocular involvement. At baseline examination, 12 (23%) patients had retinochoroiditis; 4 patients had bilateral and 2 had macular lesions. Multimodal imaging revealed 2 distinct retinochoroiditis patterns: necrotizing focal retinochoroiditis and punctate retinochoroiditis. Older age, worse visual acuity, self-reported recent reduction of visual acuity, and presence of floaters were associated with retinochoroiditis. Among patients, persons >40 years of age had 5 times the risk for ocular involvement. Five patients had recurrences during follow-up, a rate of 22% per person-year. Recurrences were associated with binocular involvement. Two patients had late ocular involvement that occurred >34 months after initial diagnosis. Patients with acquired toxoplasmosis should have long-term ophthalmic follow-up, regardless of initial ocular involvement.
Topics: Aged; Brazil; Chorioretinitis; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Multimodal Imaging; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular
PubMed: 33219657
DOI: 10.3201/eid2612.200227 -
MSphere Sep 2019Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), i.e., the ocular manifestation of infection, is one of the leading causes of posterior uveitis. While ocular lesions are often typical,... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), i.e., the ocular manifestation of infection, is one of the leading causes of posterior uveitis. While ocular lesions are often typical, atypical forms often require biological confirmation of the diagnosis. Our study sought to review the biological OT diagnoses made in our laboratory to further assess the role of each test in the diagnostic procedure. All ocular samples sent to our laboratory over the last 9 years for OT diagnosis were included. These samples were analyzed using PCR and antibody detection by means of immunoblotting and Candolfi coefficient (CC) determinations, either alone or in combination. Since serum analysis is required to interpret both the CC and immunoblotting, blood serology for was also performed in most cases. Of the 249 samples analyzed, 80 (32.1%; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 26.3 to 37.9) were positive for OT. Of these 80 cases, 52/80 (65.0%; 54.6 to 74.5) displayed a positive PCR, 15/80 (18.8%; 10.2 to 27.3) a positive CC, and 33/80 (41.3%; 95%CI, 30.5 to 52.0) a positive immunoblot result. Overall, 63 of the 80 OT diagnoses (78.8%; 95%CI, 69.8 to 87.7) were made on the basis of a single positive test result. Our study results remind us that current biological diagnostic tools for OT must be employed in combination to obtain an optimal diagnosis based on the precious ocular fluids sampled by ophthalmologists. Clinicobiological studies that are focused on correlating the performances of the different tests with clinical features are critically needed to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and diagnosis of OT. Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), a parasitic infection of the eye, is considered to be the most important infectious cause of posterior uveitis worldwide. Its prevalence is particularly high in South America, where aggressive strains are responsible for more-severe presentations. The particular pathophysiology of this infection leads, from recurrence to recurrence, to potentially severe vision impairment. The diagnosis of this infection is usually exclusively based on the clinical examination. However, the symptoms may be misleading and are not always sufficient to confirm a diagnosis of OT. In such cases, biological tests performed by means of several techniques on blood and ocular samples may facilitate the diagnosis. In this study, we analyzed the tests that were performed in our laboratory over a 9-year period every time OT was suspected. Our report highlights that the quality of ocular sampling by ophthalmologists and combinations of several techniques are critical for a reliable biological OT diagnosis.
Topics: Antibodies, Protozoan; Eye; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Retrospective Studies; Serologic Tests; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular
PubMed: 31554726
DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00636-19 -
Die Ophthalmologie Feb 2023Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is the most common infectious cause of posterior uveitis. This survey aimed to evaluate the current diagnostic and therapeutic approach to OT...
BACKGROUND
Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is the most common infectious cause of posterior uveitis. This survey aimed to evaluate the current diagnostic and therapeutic approach to OT in Germany.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A detailed questionnaire with specific patient examples was sent in July 2021 to the members of the Uveitis Section of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and the Retinological Society (RG).
RESULTS
The questionnaire was answered by 53 (29 RG and 24 DOG) ophthalmologists. Of the respondents 16 (30%) work in private practice, 18 (34%) in a clinical facility and 19 (36%) in university hospital, 9 (17%) colleagues see < 50, 28 (53%) 50-200 and 16 (30%) more than 200 uveitis patients per year. The clinical results are still the gold standard (87%) for the diagnosis of OT and in cases of first manifestation 60% are supported by serological antibody investigations, while 10 out of 53 (19%) ophthalmologists rely on the clinical presentation only. An IgM test is requested by 25 (47%) respondents, 6 expected an increase in IgG titer (11%) and 1 the detection of specific IgA antibodies (2%). The majority (n = 28, 53%) of ophthalmologists would aim at confirming the diagnosis by an anterior chamber puncture, from which 20 (38%) prefer PCR, 3 (6%) determination of Goldmann-Witmer coefficients (GW) and 5 (9%) a combination of both methods. Clindamycin was most frequently used for treatment (n = 21, 40%), followed by pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine (n = 17, 32%) and trimethoprime + sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) (n = 10, 19%); the latter was also used (n = 40, 75%) for secondary prophylaxis.
CONCLUSION
The results show that apart from the clinical results as the gold standard for the diagnosis, there is no uniform approach to diagnosis and treatment of OT. The high request rate for serum IgM antibodies indicates a widespread uncertainty about the importance of serological findings. This should be viewed critically, given the continued high seroprevalence in Germany.
Topics: Humans; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Clindamycin; Trimethoprim; Antibodies
PubMed: 35925359
DOI: 10.1007/s00347-022-01691-7 -
International Journal of Retina and... Feb 2024Toxoplasma gondii causes ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), involving inflammation, scarring, and retinal complications. The OT complications were retinal detachment (RD), and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Toxoplasma gondii causes ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), involving inflammation, scarring, and retinal complications. The OT complications were retinal detachment (RD), and retinal breakage (RB). Surgical interventions like scleral buckling (SB) and vitrectomy are common. Limited understanding exists of the safety and efficacy of surgical management of RD/RB secondary to OT. Another complication is toxoplasmosis-related macular holes (tMH), with sparse evidence on surgical outcomes. This meta-analysis aims to clarify clinical characteristics, and surgical results, and enhance understanding of RD, RB, and MH secondary to OT.
METHODS
PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and Web of Science database were queried for retrospective studies, case series and case reports that provided information on RD, RB and MH associated with OT and reported the outcomes of: (1) Retinal reattachment of RD/RB and tMH closure; (2) Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement; and (3) Complications. Heterogeneity was examined with I statistics. A random-effects model was used for outcomes with high heterogeneity. Statistical analysis was performed using the software R (version 4.2.3, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria).
RESULTS
Fourteen final studies, comprising a total of 96 patients were analyzed, 81 with RD or RB and 15 with tMH. Overall, surgical management was associated with several advantages: a high rate of retinal reattachment of RD/RB of 97% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 92-100%; I = 0%), retinal reattachment of just RD of 96% (95% CI 89-100%; I = 30%) and tMH closure 97% (95% CI 87-100; I = 12%). There were significant differences in BCVA after surgeries in studies of RD/RB (MD 0.60; 95% CI 0.35-0.65; I = 20%) and MH (MD 0.67; 95% CI 0.50-0.84; I = 0%). The overall complication rate associated with surgical procedures in RD/RB secondary to OT was confirmed to be 25%.
CONCLUSIONS
The systematic review and meta-analysis showed that the treatment approaches currently in use are effective, with a remarkable rate of retinal reattachment of RD/RB, tMH closure, and substantial improvements in visual acuity. More randomized, long-term studies on disease and surgical factors can provide valuable insights into their impact on anatomical and visual outcomes.
PubMed: 38424638
DOI: 10.1186/s40942-024-00540-w -
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Dec 2023The "One Health" concept is a universal approach to sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. This approach is based on the...
The "One Health" concept is a universal approach to sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. This approach is based on the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, and plants in a wider environment in which self-renewable ecosystems exist, with essential characteristics of integration, unifying and holistic perspective. Toxoplasmosis, one of the most common zoonotic infections in both terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems in the world, is an ideal model disease for the "One Health" approach. Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular pathogen protozoan . In the life cycle of , the definitive host is domestic cats and felines, and the intermediate hosts are all mammals (including humans), birds and reptiles. The infected cats have primary importance and play a crucial role in the contamination of habitats in the ecosystems with oocysts. Thus, ecosystems with domestic cats and stray cats are contaminated with cat feces infected with oocytes. positivity has been scientifically demonstrated in all warm-blooded animals in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The disease causes deaths and abortions in farm animals, resulting in great economic losses. However, the disease causes great problems in humans, especially pregnant women. During pregnancy, it may have effects such as congenital infections, lesions in the eye and brain of the fetus, premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, fever, pneumonia, thrombocytopenia, ocular lesions, encephalitis, and abortion. The mechanism of death and abortion of the fetus in a pregnant woman infected with occurs as a result of complete disruption of the maternal immune mechanism. The struggle against toxoplasmosis requires the universal collaboration and coordination of the World Organization for Animal Health, the World Health Organization and the World Food Organization in the "One Health" concept and integrative approaches of all responsible disciplines. Establishing universal environmental safety with the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis requires the annihilation of the feces of the infected cats using suitable techniques firstly. Then routinely, the monitoring and treatment of positivity in cats, avoiding contact with contaminated foods and materials, and development of modern treatment and vaccine options. Particularly, mandatory monitoring or screening of positivity during the pregnancy period in humans should be done. It would be beneficial to replace the French model, especially in the monitoring of disease in humans. In this article, the ecology of toxoplasmosis was reviewed at the base of the "One Health" concept.
Topics: Female; Humans; Animals; Pregnancy; Cats; One Health; Ecosystem; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasma; Zoonoses; Animals, Domestic; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; Cat Diseases; Mammals
PubMed: 38149449
DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.38039 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Ocular infection with causes toxoplasmosis in mice. However, following ocular infection with tachyzoites, the cause of the accompanying progressive changes in...
Ocular infection with causes toxoplasmosis in mice. However, following ocular infection with tachyzoites, the cause of the accompanying progressive changes in hippocampal-dependent tasks, and their relationship with the morphology and number of microglia, is less well understood. Here, in 6-month-old, female BALB/c mice, 5 μl of a suspension containing 48.5 × 10 tachyzoites/ml was introduced into the conjunctival sac; control received an equal volume of saline. Before and after instillation, all mice were subject to an olfactory discrimination (OD) test, using predator (cat) feces, and to an open-field (OF) task. After the behavioral tests, the animals were culled at either 22 or 44 days post-instillation (dpi), and the brains and retinas were dissected and processed for immunohistochemistry. The total number of Iba-1-immunolabeled microglia in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus was estimated, and three-dimensional reconstructions of the cells were evaluated. Immobility was increased in the infected group at 12, 22, and 43 dpi, but the greatest immobility was observed at 22 dpi and was associated with reduced line crossing in the OF and distance traveled. In the OD test, infected animals spent more time in the compartment with feline fecal material at 14 and at 43 dpi. No OD changes were observed in the control group. The number of microglia was increased at 22 dpi but returned to control levels by 44 dpi. These changes were associated with the differentiation of tachyzoites into bradyzoite-enclosed cysts within the brain and retina. Thus, infection of mice with alters exploratory behavior, gives rise to a loss in predator's odor avoidance from 2 weeks after infection, increased microglia number, and altered their morphology in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Conjunctiva; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neuropathology; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal
PubMed: 35372100
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.812152 -
Eye (London, England) Oct 2021To assess the ratio of scarred/active areas of fundus lesions in patients with presumed ocular toxoplasmosis.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
To assess the ratio of scarred/active areas of fundus lesions in patients with presumed ocular toxoplasmosis.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
Retrospective monocentric study of patients with presumed ocular toxoplasmosis seen between May 2004 and February 2018. Patients with a positive anti-Toxoplasma serology presenting characteristic fundus lesions. Cases with images of both baseline active and scarred lesions of the fundus were included. The borders of each active or scarred lesion were delineated on colour photographs by two independent observers and the area of the lesions was calculated using Digimizer 4.2.2 (MedCalc Software, Ostend, Belgium). The interobserver variability of the measures was recorded and their means were used for further calculations. To study the ratio of the area of scarred retinochoroiditis over the area of the baseline active lesion (R).
RESULTS
A total of 171 cases (83 males, 88 females) with a mean age of 31.6 ± 13.8 years were included. The average areas of active and scarred retinochoroiditis were, respectively, 1.32 ± 1.59 and 1.79 ± 2.36 optic disc area. The average ratio between scarred and active areas of retinochoroiditis was 1.36 [range 0.54-2.18]. The administration of a systemic treatment [R = 1.25, p = 0.003], the absence of a pre-existing scar [R = 1.05, p < 0.001] and a peripapillary location of the lesion [R = 0.85, p < 0.001] were each significantly associated with smaller scarred/active area ratios.
CONCLUSIONS
We assessed in a standardized manner the ratio of scarred/active areas of toxoplasmic lesions and showed that the area of scarred lesions was on average slightly larger than the area of active retinochoroiditis.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Chorioretinitis; Cicatrix; Female; Fundus Oculi; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular; Young Adult
PubMed: 33235345
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-020-01290-3 -
BMJ Open Ophthalmology Jan 2023To identify the risk factors associated with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in a cohort of Congolese patients with uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the risk factors associated with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in a cohort of Congolese patients with uveitis.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2020 and July 2021 in two ophthalmic clinics in Kinshasa. Patients with a diagnosis of uveitis were enrolled in the study. Each patient underwent an interview, an ophthalmological examination and serology testing. Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for OT.
RESULTS
212 patients were included in the study with a mean age at presentation of 42.1±15.9 years (limits: 8-74 years) and a sex ratio of 1.1:1. OT concerned 96 patients (45.3%). The age of the patients below 60 years (p=0.001, OR=9.75 CI 95% 2.51 to37.80)), the consumption of cat meat (p=0.01, OR=2.65 CI 95% 1.18 to 5.96)) and undercooked meat (p=0.044, OR=2.30 CI 95% 1.02 to 5.21)) and living in rural area (p=0.021, OR=11.4 (CI 95% 1.45 to 89.84])) were identified as risk factors for OT.
CONCLUSION
OT affects more young people. It is associated with dietary habits. Informing and educating the population is necessary to avoid infection.
Topics: Humans; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular; Cross-Sectional Studies; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Uveitis; Risk Factors
PubMed: 37278432
DOI: 10.1136/bmjophth-2022-001198