AEGiS-08IAC: Identification of Toxoplasma gondii in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with AIDS by the polymerase chain reaction.

8th International AIDS Conference


Amsterdam, Netherlands — July 19-24, 1992

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Identification of Toxoplasma gondii in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with AIDS by the polymerase chain reaction.

Int Conf AIDS 1992 Jul 19-24; 8:We54 (abstract no. WeB 1051)
van de Van E, Melchers W, Kraaijeveld C, Galama J; University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of the opportunistic infection toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients can be difficult; serology is not reliable and other techniques (microscopy, antigen detection, mouse inoculation and tissue culture) are either insensitive or time consuming. Therapeutic treatment of immunocompromised patients mostly relies on symptomatology instead of a confirmed diagnosis. Therefore, the value of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of T. gondii in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with AIDS was investigated.

METHODS: In a blind study, CSF samples of 22 patients with AIDS were tested for the presence of T. gondii by using the BI gene as target for PCR (E. van de Ven et al, 1991. J. Clin. Microbiol. 29:2120-2124). Patients were categorized as follows: 8 patients with presumed cerebral toxoplasmosis: seropositive for T. gondii antibody, cerebral lesions, good response to therapy. 14 patients with possible cerebral toxoplasmosis: cerebral lesions of which the cause was not identified. Some patients were seen for the first time at an advanced stage of AIDS and T. gondii antibody could not be demonstrated.

RESULTS: T. gondii PCR was positive in 6 out of 8 patients with a presumed diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis. T. gondii PCR was positive in 5 out of 14 patients with a possible diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis.

CONCLUSION: The PCR is a valuable tool for the demonstration of T. gondii in CSF of patients with AIDS.

Keywords: AEGIS, Toxoplasma, Toxoplasmosis, Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Animal, Mice, Human, cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, ICA8KWDaegis,toxoplasma,toxoplasmosis,toxoplasmosis,cerebral,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,polymerasechainreaction,animal,mice,human,cerebrospinalfluid,diagnosis,ica8
920719
WeB1051

Copyright © 1992 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.