Article
Immunology
Heloisa Ribeiro Storchilo, Giulianne Monteiro Teixeira, Andre Luis Elias Moreira, Taynara Cristina Gomes, Clayton Luiz Borges, Ana Maria de Castro
Summary: This study analyzed the immunoreactive profile of Toxoplasma gondii protein bands to identify potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of congenital and acute toxoplasmosis. Specific bands were found to be more immunoreactive in samples from different groups and subgroups, potentially aiding in the early detection and treatment of congenital toxoplasmosis.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Romulo Oliveira Sousa, Yusmaris Cariaco, Marcos Paulo Oliveira Almeida, Layane Alencar Costa Nascimento, Loyane Bertagnolli Coutinho, Angelo Alves Ferreira-Junior, Marisol Patricia Pallete Briceno, Mariele de Fatima Alves Venancio, Mario Cezar Oliveira, Natalia Carnevalli Miranda, Ana Claudia Arantes Marquez Pajuaba, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Leticia de Souza Castro Filice, Neide Maria Silva
Summary: This study found that during early pregnancy, T. gondii infection led to elevated levels of cytokines systemically and at the maternal-fetal interface in C57BL/6 mice, along with reduced FOXP3 expression. However, in late gestation, the parasite had less impact on cytokine levels.
Article
Microbiology
Carlos Flores, Delba Villalobos-Cerrud, Jovanna Borace, Lorena Fabrega, Ximena Norero, X. Saez-Llorens, Maria Teresa Moreno, Carlos M. Restrepo, Alejandro Llanes, Mario R. Quijada, Mayrene Ladron De Guevara, German Guzman, Valli de la Guardia, Anabel Garcia, Maria F. Lucero, Digna Wong, Rima Mcleod, Mariangela Soberon, Zuleima E. Caballero
Summary: Limited epidemiological data on congenital toxoplasmosis in Panama, with high seroprevalence in pregnant women. Main risk factors associated with T. gondii infection include education level and maternal age. Presence of pets, stray dogs, and poultry consumption correlated with positive cases in certain regions. Absence of pets considered a protective factor in other regions.
Review
Immunology
Mariana Barros, Daniela Teixeira, Manuel Vilanova, Alexandra Correia, Natercia Teixeira, Margarida Borges
Summary: Congenital toxoplasmosis has a significant impact on human disease globally, with no current human vaccines available for prevention. Studies using animal models have shown that vaccines previously found to protect against exogenous infections can also provide partial protection against vertically transmitted infections. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal immune response to protect both the host and fetus in congenital infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Guilherme de Souza, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Aryani Felixa Fajardo Martinez, Rafaela Jose Silva, Luana Carvalho Luz, Joed Pires de Lima Junior, Alessandra Monteiro Rosini, Natalia Carine Lima dos Santos, Rafael Martins de Oliveira, Marina Paschoalino, Matheus Carvalho Barbosa, Rosiane Nascimento Alves, Angelica Oliveira Gomes, Claudio Vieira da Silva, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
Summary: In this study, the impact of T. cruzi and recombinant P21 on T. gondii infection was investigated in BeWo cells and human placental explants. The results showed that T. cruzi infection and rP21 can increase the invasion and decrease the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii in BeWo cells. In human placental villi, rP21 can either increase or decrease T. gondii proliferation, while T. cruzi infection increases T. gondii proliferation. These findings highlight the importance of neonatal screening for both diseases and suggest P21 as a potential therapeutic target for Chagas disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Amrei Krings, Josephine Jacob, Frank Seeber, Uwe Pleyer, Jochen Walker, Klaus Stark, Hendrik Wilking
Summary: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection with a substantial disease burden in Germany. The average annual incidence was estimated to be 8,047 patients, with the highest incidence in 2011 at 10.6/100,000 population and the lowest in 2016 at 8.0/100,000 population. Pregnancy-associated toxoplasmosis had a higher average incidence of 40.3/100,000 pregnancies. Public health and food safety authorities should implement specific prevention programs for toxoplasmosis.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Carlo Bienkowski, Malgorzata Aniszewska, Monika Kowalczyk, Jolanta Popielska, Konrad Zawadka, Agnieszka Oldakowska, Maria Pokorska-Spiewak
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women. The results showed that living in rural areas and eating raw meat were independent risk factors for T. gondii infection during pregnancy.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Joshua Wade, Sarah May Johnson, Ingrid Burkhardt, Alexia Egloff, Jessica Thomas, Edward Guy, Alicia Demirjian
Summary: This article discusses the process of investigating congenital infections in a set of twins, with one child diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis and CMV infection, and the other diagnosed with CMV infection, highlighting the complexity and challenges in dealing with infections in infants.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mostafa Omidian, Amir Hossein Ganjkarimi, Qasem Asgari, Gholamreza Hatam
Summary: The study aimed to determine the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis among newborns in Shiraz, Southern Iran between 2013 and 2018. Findings showed an incidence rate of 0.08% in the studied samples with no significant differences in epidemiological factors for congenital infection between mothers and infants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Caroline Charlier, Julia Dina, Francois Freymuth, Astrid Vabret, Olivier Lortholary, Denise Antona, Marc Lecuit
Summary: Research shows that measles virus can be detected in the saliva and blood of pregnant women, leading to transmission to the fetus during pregnancy, resulting in asymptomatic infection at birth. Despite severe peripartum congenital measles, asymptomatic vertical transmission of the measles virus can occur in early pregnancy.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Viviane Souza de Campos, Camila Feitosa Magalhaes, Barbara Gomes da Rosa, Carolina Moreira dos Santos, Lucianne Fragel-Madeira, Danniel Pereira Figueiredo, Karin C. Calaza, Daniel Adesse
Summary: This study used a mouse model to investigate the impact of congenital toxoplasmosis on retinal development. The results showed that infected embryos had smaller body sizes and weights, and the infected retinas had an increase in proliferating cells and early neuronal differentiation markers. These findings suggest that toxoplasmosis may lead to abnormal retinal formation in fetuses.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Helene Guegan, Tijana Stajner, Branko Bobic, Cindy Press, Rares T. Olariu, Kjerstie Olson, Jelena Srbljanovic, Jose G. Montoya, Olgica Djurkovic-Djakovic, Florence Robert-Gangneux
Summary: Maternal anti-Toxoplasma therapy during pregnancy can impact the sensitivity of neonatal diagnostic methods, particularly affecting antibody and PCR detection results. The duration and timing of maternal treatment may influence the performance of neonatal workup, emphasizing the importance of careful serological follow-up for infants.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Irma Canedo-Solares, Dolores Correa, Hector Luna-Pasten, Luz Belinda Ortiz-Alegria, Fernando Gomex-Chavez, Lizbeth Xicotencatl-Garcia, Luisa Diaz-Garcia, Carlos E. Canfield-Rivera
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii can be vertically transmitted during pregnancy, causing neurological, ocular, and systemic damage to the offspring. Efficient clinical management requires timely diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT), which is often done using low sensitivity or specificity methods. This study found that the presence of specific IgG subclasses (IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) and IgA antibodies in infected mothers and congenitally infected offspring may be markers of CT and disease severity/spread in the offspring.
Review
Immunology
Maria C. Mejia, Maria C. Cardenas, Ramya Narasimhan, Dawn Littlefield, Elizabeth Ann L. Enninga, Rana Chakraborty
Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential association between prematurity and congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) and to investigate the impact of intrauterine transmission on gestational length. The review of existing studies did not establish a connection between CT and preterm labor, possibly due to heterogeneity in screening, treatments, and reported incidences of CT across different regions. Further research, including large-scale prospective cohort studies, is needed to explore key clinical associations such as vertical transmission and preterm birth.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Ophthalmology
Aline Reetz Conceicao, Deisi Nara Belucik, Lilian Missio, Luiz Gustavo Brenner, Matheus Henrique Monteiro, Kleber Silva Ribeiro, Deise Fialho Costa, Maria Clara da Silva Valadao, Alessandra Goncalves Commodaro, Joao Rafael de Oliveira Dias, Rubens Belfort
Summary: High prevalence rates of clinical manifestations were observed in infants with congenital toxoplasmosis after a waterborne toxoplasmosis outbreak, the largest yet described. Cerebral calcifications were higher in infants with ocular abnormalities, and maternal infection during the third pregnancy trimester was associated with a higher rate of congenital toxoplasmosis independent of maternal treatment.