BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic infection of man, and reactivation of latent disease in HIV-infected patients can cause fatal encephalitis. Diagnosis depends on demonstration of parasite-specific antibodies in serum. In HIV-infected patients, IgM is often undetectable, whereas IgG remains detectable in the majority. Urine sample is very easily available and has not been evaluated for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. AIM: The study was an effort to find whether urine sample can be used in place of serum for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out in serum and urine samples collected from 100 HIV-infected patients to detect anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies and whether positivity correlated with the CD4 T-cell counts of patients. RESULTS: In this study, we observed that there was no significant difference in positivity of anti-toxoplasma IgM and IgG between serum and urine samples of HIV-infected patients by ELISA. There was a negative correlation between CD4 count and seropositivity. CONCLUSION: Urine sample can be satisfactorily used in place of serum for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis.
BACKGROUND:Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic infection of man, and reactivation of latent disease in HIV-infectedpatients can cause fatal encephalitis. Diagnosis depends on demonstration of parasite-specific antibodies in serum. In HIV-infectedpatients, IgM is often undetectable, whereas IgG remains detectable in the majority. Urine sample is very easily available and has not been evaluated for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. AIM: The study was an effort to find whether urine sample can be used in place of serum for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out in serum and urine samples collected from 100 HIV-infectedpatients to detect anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies and whether positivity correlated with the CD4 T-cell counts of patients. RESULTS: In this study, we observed that there was no significant difference in positivity of anti-toxoplasma IgM and IgG between serum and urine samples of HIV-infectedpatients by ELISA. There was a negative correlation between CD4 count and seropositivity. CONCLUSION: Urine sample can be satisfactorily used in place of serum for immunodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis.