Original scientific paper
Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus in Croatia
Oktavija Đaković-Rode
orcid.org/0000-0001-8023-4314
; Klnika za infektivne bolesti "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Hrvatska
Snježana Židovec-Lepej
; Klnika za infektivne bolesti "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Hrvatska
Marina Vodnica Martucci
; Zavod za javno zdravstvo Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Vesna Lasica Polanda
; Opća bolnica Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Josip Begovac
; Klnika za infektivne bolesti "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the main opportunistic agents in HIV-infected patients. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in HIV-infected patients in Croatia is unknown. The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients in Croatia. Included in the study were 166 HIV-infected patients and 219 blood donors (BD) as healthy control. Anti-toxoplasma IgM, IgG and IgA antibodies were determined with enzyme immunoassay respectively. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in HIV-patients was 51.8 % and in BD 52.5 %. IgM antibodies were found in 2 HIV-patients and 2 BD, and IgA in 2 HIV-patients and 1 BD. According to HIV risk behaviour men who have sex with other men had significantly higher prevalence rate (66.7 %) and 2.4 higher risk for toxoplasma infection than other HIV-infected patients (OR 2.37; 95 % CI 1.12–5.13). Results were analyzed according to age, gender, geographic origin and for HIV-infected patients also according to CD4+ T-cell count number, and no statistically significant differences were found. This is the first study that presents seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients in Croatia.
Keywords
Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; prevalence; antibodies; HIV-infected patients; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
59781
URI
Publication date:
31.3.2010.
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