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A relationship between latent toxoplasmosis and the immune system during HIV disease is poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this follow-up study was to characterize immunological parameters in HIV-infected patients with latent toxoplasmosis and noninfected individuals. A total of 101 HIV-infected patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were classified into two groups based on anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies: a group of 55 toxoplasma-positive persons (TP) and a group of 46 toxoplasma-negative persons (TN). Absolute counts of several lymphocyte subsets decreased in the TP group, namely, T cells (p=0.007), B cells (p=0.002), NK cells (p=0.009), CD4 T cells (p=0.028), and CD8 T cells (p=0.004). On the other hand, the percentage of CD8 T cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR significantly increased during the follow-up in the TP group (p=0.003, p=0.042, resp.) as well as the intensity of CD38 and HLA-DR expression (MFI) on CD8 T cells (p=0.001, p=0.057, resp.). In the TN group, analysis of the kinetics of immunological parameters revealed no significant changes over time. In conclusion, the results suggest that latent T. gondii infection modulates the immune response during HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objectives: To determine the incidence and laboratory characteristics of primary Toxoplasma gondii infection in HIV-infected individuals. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between 1988 and 2012 on a cohort of 1130 HIV-infected patients at the AIDS Center Prague. Toxoplasma serology, standard laboratory parameters, and health status were evaluated at 3–6-month intervals for all patients. Results: The total person-time of follow-up of patients at risk of Toxoplasma seroconversion was 3046.3 years; there were 14 primary T. gondii infections, yielding an incidence rate of 0.0046 (95% confidence interval 0.0027–0.0078). Most of the subjects were clinically asymptomatic, but in one case seroconversion was accompanied by transient cervical lymphadenopathy. The CD4+ T-lymphocyte count geometric mean increased from 418 (95% confidence interval 303–579) cells/μl before seroconversion to 501 (95% confidence interval 363–691) cells/μl after seroconversion (p = 0.004), while other parameters (CD8+ T-lymphocytes, natural killer cells, viral load, beta2-microglobulin, total immunoglobulins) remained unchanged. As compared to the control group, patients with primary toxoplasmosis had higher initial levels of total immunoglobulins IgA and IgG and a tendency to higher CD8+ T lymphocyte counts. Conclusions: Neither the incidence nor the course of the primary Toxoplasma infection was influenced by the immune status of the patients. Immune parameters of patients with primary Toxoplasma infection did not differ from those of the controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]