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Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause severe consequences in the fetus, such as spontaneous abortion which is affected by parasite strain. Also, recent studies revealed the high genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii. This study aims to investigate the serological status of T. gondii in pregnant women, multilocus genotyping in aborted fetuses' tissue, and archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded placenta. This study was performed on 100 pregnant women with spontaneous abortion and their aborted fetuses, and 250 of the archived placentae in Iran. The blood and tissue were examined for seroprevalence and genotype determination of T. gondii using ELISA and multilocus nested-PCR-RFLP, respectively. Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM were detected in 68 samples (68%) and 1 (1%) out of 100 serums. Toxoplasma DNA was identified in 1 (1%) aborted fetuses' tissue and 32 (12.8%) placenta samples. Overall, ten positive DNA samples were successfully genotyped, and five genotypes were recognized (ToxoDB#1, #2, #10, #27, and #48). The obtained results indicated congenital toxoplasmosis is a severe risk in this region. As type I is highly pathogen and can lead to severe complications, the prevention of the infection should be considered in seronegative pregnant women., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The consumption of uncooked or undercooked food from infected intermediate hosts can result in Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. However, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of this protozoan parasite in Iran. The aim of the present study was to genetically characterize isolates of T. gondii from intermediate host animals in Mazandaran Province, Iran., Methods: Blood and heart tissue samples were collected from 204 ruminants, and brain tissue was collected from 335 birds. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in these samples was determined serologically using the modified agglutination test and by conventional PCR assays. Those PCR samples positive for T. gondii DNA and 13 DNA samples extracted from aborted fetuses in a previous study were genotyped with 12 genetic markers using the multilocus-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR-RFLP) technique., Results: Antibodies for parasites were found in 35.7% of the ruminant (39.1% of sheep and 26.4% of goats) samples and in 51.3% of the bird (100% of geese, 52.3% of free-range chickens and 46% of ducks) samples. Molecular detection by PCR of the repetitive 529-bp DNA fragment revealed contamination of 13.2% of ruminant (14.6% of sheep and 9.4% of goats) samples and of 9.6% of bird (11.1% of chickens, 5.7% of ducks and 0% of geese samples). The results from 30 DNA samples revealed five ToxoDB (genome database for the genus Toxoplasma) PCR-RFLP genotypes, including #1 (Type II), #2 (Type III), #10 (Type I), #27 and #48, with genotype #1 the most predominant., Conclusions: As evidenced by the results of this study, ruminants and birds are infected with T. gondii in the region, suggesting that they are likely to be involved in the transmission of T. gondii to humans through meat consumption. The identification of different genotypes may suggest a higher genetic diversity of this parasite in Mazandaran, reflecting local environmental contamination. These results have important public health implications for the prevention and control strategies of infection., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Toxoplasmosis is highly prevalent in northern Iran and immunocompromised individuals are more susceptible to this infection. The present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence, parasitism and genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii among patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy in northern Iran., Methods: A total of 350 serum samples obtained from cancer patients were collected from laboratory centers in northern Iran. Immunodiagnosis and DNA detection were accomplished by ELISA and PCR. Thereafter, multiplex-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used for the genotyping of T. gondii., Results: In general, out of 350 patients, 264 (75.4%) and 9 (2.57%) cases were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM, respectively. Moreover, 19 (5.43%) samples contained T. gondii DNA. From 19 positive samples, 10 high-quality samples with sharp and non-smear bands were selected to determine the genotypes of T. gondii. Accordingly, the samples were classified as genotype #1 (type II clonal; n=4, 40%), genotype #2 (type III clonal; n=3, 30%), genotype #10 (type I clonal; n=2, 20%) and genotype #27 (type I variant; n=1, 10%)., Conclusions: As evidenced by the results, due to the high prevalence of T. gondii, cancer patients in northern Iran are at serious risk of severe toxoplasmosis and its complications. Therefore, oncologists need to regard this critical health problem as a matter requiring urgent attention., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in Iranian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients using multilocus-nested polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR-RFLP). A total of 102 serum samples obtained from infected patients were collected from the laboratory centres in northern Iran. Anti-T. gondii antibodies and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) detection were accomplished by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR. The Mn-PCR-RFLP method was used for the genotyping of T. gondii. Overall, 68.6% (70/102) and 11.7% (12/102) of the individuals were tested positive for anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin G and T. gondii DNA, respectively. Complete genotyping was performed on 10/12 (83.3%) PCR-positive samples. Accordingly, the samples were classified as genotype #1 (type II clonal; n = 3, 30%), genotype #2 (type III clonal; n = 2, 20%), genotype #10 (type I clonal; n = 2, 20%), genotype #27 (type I variant; n = 1, 10%), genotype #35 (type I variant; n = 1, 10%) and genotype #48 (type III variant; n = 1, 10%). The results were indicative of the high frequency of the type I and type I variant of T. gondii strains in HIV-positive patients in northern Iran. Given the high prevalence of T. gondii and frequency of pathogenic types (pathogen in laboratory mice) in the patients, special measures should be taken to prevent the possible increased incidence of encephalitis by T. gondii.

Background and purpose: Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by an intercellular protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma has global expansion and its prevalence is different in regions according to geographical conditions, habits and history of contact with cats. The present study determined the seroepidemiology of toxoplasma in pregnant women attending health centers in two cities in north of Iran. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 289 pregnant women who referred to health centers in Ramsar and Tonekabon were randomly selected. After the debriefing questionnaire, blood samples were taken from the subjects. Then IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were examined by ELISA method. Finally the data was analyzed in SPSS Results: Positive IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibody were found in 170 (58.8%) and 7 (2.4%) expectant mothers, respectively. Among the participants four (1.4%) were positive for both IgM and IgG and 116 (40.1%) were negative for both types of antibodies. There was no significant relation between the possible risk of T. gondii infection and pregnant women's place of living, educational level, age, occupation, exposure to cats, and the consumption of raw meat. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of Toxoplasma among pregnant women in Ramsar and Tonekabon. Hence, more training are necessary to raise awareness especially in pregnant women [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]