Disease relevance of Toxoplasmosis

• Dapsone-pyrimethamine compared with aerosolized pentamidine as primary prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and toxoplasmosis in HIV infection. The PRIO Study Group [1].
• MAIN RESULTS: Six of 99 (6%) patients with toxoplasmosis, 50 of 240 (21%) patients with other severe opportunistic infections, and 8 of 114 (6%) patients receiving inhaled pentamidine developed P. carinii pneumonia [2].
• CD4+ lines specific for Toxoplasma gondii-infected human melanoma P36 cells were established from PBL of a patient with chronic toxoplasmosis [3].
• In contrast, clinically diagnosed PCP, oesophageal candidiasis and, to a lesser degree, brain toxoplasmosis were often not found at autopsy, possibly indicating a significant rate of recovery and prevention of relapse [4].
• Toxoplasmosis presenting as panhypopituitarism in a patient with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome [5].

Psychiatry related information on Toxoplasmosis

• It is concluded that toxoplasmosis and cryptococcosis should be the first diagnostic consideration in patients with neurologic findings who have a history of homosexuality and/or intravenous drug abuse and previous unusual infections or anergy [6].

High impact information on Toxoplasmosis

• In an intention-to-treat analysis, after a median follow-up of 539 days P. carinii pneumonia developed in 10 patients in each group, whereas toxoplasmosis developed in 32 of 176 patients in the pentamidine group and 19 of 173 patients in the dapsone-pyrimethamine group [1].
• Our findings identify the CBL domain of MIC3 as a key player in toxoplasmosis and reveal the synergistic role of MICs in virulence, supporting the idea that parasites have evolved multiple ligand-receptor interactions to ensure invasion of different cells types during the course of infection [7].
• Efficacy of atovaquone in treatment of toxoplasmosis in patients with AIDS. The NIAID-Clinical Center Intramural AIDS Program [8].
• CONCLUSIONS: Thrice-weekly trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for the simultaneous primary prophylaxis of P. carinii pneumonia and toxoplasmosis in patients infected with HIV [9].
• Although the treatment of toxoplasmosis remains a challenge, alternatives to sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine are now available [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Toxoplasmosis

• Central-nervous-system toxoplasmosis in homosexual men and parenteral drug abusers [11].
• P23 is of diagnostic interest as a marker of chronic toxoplasmosis and is proposed as a vaccine component [12].
• Tumor necrosis factor-independent protective effect of recombinant IFN-gamma against acute toxoplasmosis in T cell-deficient mice [13].
• The proportion of patients remaining free of PCP or toxoplasmosis was analyzed with the log-rank test as a function of time, as were the effects of zidovudine or prophylaxis on survival [14].
• Letter: Sulfisoxazole called suboptimal therapy in toxoplasmosis [15].

Biological context of Toxoplasmosis

• The present study was undertaken to determine the kinetics and mechanism of the observed downregulation of interleukin 2 (IL-2) production during experimental murine toxoplasmosis [16].
• We describe the case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, treated by corticosteroids, who presented during two successive pregnancies with serological reactivation of toxoplasmosis associated with fetal lesions [17].
• Neuropathology and host-parasite relationship of acute experimental toxoplasmosis of the blue fox (Alopex lagopus) [18].
• In this study the clastogenic effect of pyrimethamine (Daraprim), a folic acid antagonist used for the treatment of toxoplasmosis and malaria on human chromosomes, was investigated [19].
• Application of the polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of pulmonary toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients [20].

Anatomical context of Toxoplasmosis

• CD28 is a costimulatory molecule important for optimal activation of T cells, but CD28(-/-) mice are resistant to T. gondii, demonstrating that CD28-independent mechanisms regulate T cell responses during toxoplasmosis [21].
• Polymerase chain reaction on sputum for the diagnosis of pulmonary toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients [22].
• Similarly, acute but not chronic toxoplasmosis at the time of infection with L. major had a strong inhibitory effect on development of acquired immune responses mediated by Th2 lymphocytes [23].
• Prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis infection with pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine (Fansidar) in bone marrow transplant recipients [24].
• Pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine remain the drugs of choice for toxoplasmosis and are able to penetrate blood-brain barriers [25].

Gene context of Toxoplasmosis

• TNFR1/2(0/0) and TNFR1(0/0) mice succumbed to toxoplasmosis within 17 and 27 days, respectively, whereas TNFR2(0/0) and wt mice were equally resistant to acute toxoplasmosis [26].
• These studies revealed that p40(-/-) mice rapidly succumbed to toxoplasmosis, while p35(-/-) mice displayed enhanced resistance though they eventually succumbed to this infection [27].
• Decreased resistance of TNF receptor p55- and p75-deficient mice to chronic toxoplasmosis despite normal activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in vivo [28].
• These data suggest that proinflammatory chemokine secretion is an important host cell response to toxoplasmosis and that the release of IL-1alpha and other mediators from lysed host cells is critical for this chemokine response [29].
• This mechanism may influence the role of TNF-alpha in toxoplasmosis [30].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Toxoplasmosis

• Successful toxoplasmosis prophylaxis after orthotopic cardiac transplantation with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [31].
• After treatment with dexamethasone, we detected reactivation of toxoplasmosis in mice infected with S23-luc7 and S22-luc2 [32].
• Isocratic reversed-phase HPLC method to measure pyrimethamine extracted from plasma of infants treated for toxoplasmosis [33].
• Synergistic activity of clarithromycin and minocycline in an animal model of acute experimental toxoplasmosis [34].
• Hyperperfusion and early technetium-99m-HMPAO SPECT appearance of central nervous system toxoplasmosis [35].

References