Microbiologie médicale et diagnostic

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Patients Using IgG - Modified Direct Agglutination Test (IgG MAT)

Abstract

G Sucilathangam, N Palaniappan, C Sreekumar and T Anna

Background/Objective:The present study was conducted to assess the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondiiin and around Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India by in-house IgG assay, using MAT.

Methods:Serum samples from 175 immunodeficient and 175 immunocompetent patients were collected at Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu from May 2006 to October 2007. They were subjected to in-house IgG assay using Modified Direct Agglutination test (MAT).

Results:Out of 350 patients tested by MAT, 39 patients (11.41%) had antibodies for toxoplasmosis with mean MAT titre of 53.85 ± 55.28 and the titre ranged from 1:20 to 1:160. Among the immunocompetent group of 175 patients, 18 patients (10.29%) had antibodies to toxoplasmosis whereas in immunodeficient group of 175 patients, 21 patients (12%) had antibodies for toxoplasmosis. The sensitivity, specificity of IgG MAT in detecting toxoplasmosis was 80 and 90 % respectively.

Statistical analysis: The results were analysed by using the statistical software SPSS.

Conclusions:The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in and around Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu was 11.41% based on IgG MAT. The study has proved that MAT is recommended as the most convenient method for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis and has the additional advantage of not requiring species-specific conjugates.