Detecção de Toxoplasma gondii em linguiças suínas tipo frescal, comercializadas no município de Botucatu - SP

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Vacina irradiada de Toxoplasma gondii em rats wistar: análise molecular da carga parasitária tecidual, transmissão congênita e eliminação do agente pelo leite

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Transmissão sexual de Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1909) em ovinos (Ovis aries)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diagnóstico molecular de hemoparasitas e frequência de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii e anti-Neospora caninum, em gatos peridomiciliados na cidade de São Luís, Maranhão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Transmissão sexual do Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1909) em caprinos (Capra hircus)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da presença de Toxoplasma gondii em quibes crus e em carnes suína e bovina comercializadas em Botucatu-SP

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Avaliação sorológica de Parainfluenzavirus Tipo 1, Salmonella spp., Mycoplasma spp. e Toxoplasma gondii em aves silvestres

Newcastle disease, salmonellosis and mycoplamosis are the most important infectious diseases in poultry. Toxoplamosis is a common disease in urban environment. The present study investigated serologic evidence of these diseases in captive and wildlife birds, with rapid plate agglutination test, haemagglutination inhibition test, and modified agglutination test. In a total of 117 blood serum samples, 20 showed the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Salmonella spp. antibodies. Amazona aestiva was the specie with the highest number of positive individuals (13/20). We also verified the first detection of T. gondii antibodies in birds of prey from Mivalgo chimachima and Rupornis magnirostris species.

Detection of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in wild animals in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Immunization of Wistar female rats with 255-Gy-irradiated Toxoplasma gondii: Preventing parasite load and maternofoetal transmission

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Le(a-b-) phenotype: potential risk factor for infection by the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnancy

The Lewis histo-blood group system is characterized by the expression of the Lea and Le(b) antigens in the gastrointestinal tract, whose synthesis results in interactions between alpha 2-L-fucosyltransferase (FUTII) and alpha 3/4-L-fucosyltransferase (FUTIII) enzymes coded by the FUT2 (19q. 13.3) and FUT3 (19p13.3) genes. FUTII and FUTIII fucosylate the type 1 oligosaccharide precursor (Gal beta 1 -> 3NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) at distinct positions to form H type 1 (Fuc alpha 1. 2Gal beta 1. 3NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) and Le(a) (Gal beta 1 -> 3[Fuc alpha 1 -> 4] NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) antigens, respectively. The fucosylation of H type 1 antigens by FUTIII results in the Leb antigen (Fuc alpha 1. 2Gal beta 1. 3[Fuca1. 4] NAcGlc beta 1. 3-R). Thus, the presence of the FUTII and FUTIII enzymes leads to the expression of the Le(a+b+) phenotype, while the presence of only FUTIII allows the expression of the Le(a+b-) phenotype. The absence of the FUTIII enzyme leads to the expression of the Le(a-b-) phenotype, independent of the presence or absence of FUTII. Point mutations in FUT2 and FUT3 genes change the activity of these enzymes, impair the synthesis of Le(a) and Le(b) antigens, and contribute to the variability of Lewis phenotypes in the gastrointestinal tract. Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite that infects a large proportion of the world's population, utilizes the gastrointestinal tract as an infection route and seems to adhere to glycosylated molecules to invade human cells. These apparently independent events may be related. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is an association between the Lewis histo-blood group system and infection by T. gondii. Two hundred and nine serum samples collected from pregnant women were submitted to screening tests to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies, employing the indirect hemagglutination method. ELISA was utilized to identify IgG class anti-T. gondii antibodies specific for the RH strain. A hundred and ninety-five samples with concordant results for both methods were selected to form two groups: seropositive (G1) and seronegative (G2). The G428A mutation of the FUT2 gene, and T202C and C314T of the FUT3 gene, which allow inference of the gastrointestinal tract Lewis phenotypes, were identified using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSP methods, respectively. Among the 195 samples selected, 116 (59.5%) were seropositive and 79 (40.5%) were seronegative. In G1, 68 (58.6%) were classified as Le(a+b+), 30 (25.9%) as Le(a+b-), and 18 (15.5%) as Le(a-b-), and in G2, 67 (84.8%) were classified as Le(a+b+), 12 (15.2%) as Le(a+b-), and 0 (0%) as Le(a-b-) (P < 0.0001). The Le(a-b-) phenotype is associated with a high risk of RH strain T. gondii infection when compared with the Le(a+b+) [P = 0.0001; OR = 36,460; 95%CI = 2.152-617,680] and Le(a+b-) phenotypes [P = 0.0118; OR = 15,165; 95%CI = 0.8463-271,710]. The Le(a+b-) phenotype showed a higher risk compared to the Le(a+b+) phenotype [P = 0.0206; OR = 2463; 95%CI = 2463-5214]. The results suggest that the Le(a-b-) phenotype is strongly associated with a greater risk of infection by the RH strain of T. gondii compared to the other phenotypes. It is possible that the absence of fucosylation of the type 1 oligosaccharide precursor as well as the variations in the structures of the Le(a) and Le(b) antigens influence susceptibility to infection by this parasite.

Pesquisa de Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1909) em sêmen, testículos e epidídimos de gatos (Felis catus) primoinfectados

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Immunization of Wistar female rats with 255-Gy-irradiated Toxoplasma gondii: Tissue parasitic load and lactogenic quantification

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

An atypical Toxoplasma gondii genotype in a rural Brazilian dog co-infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

Toxoplasmosis and leishmaniasis are two worldwide zoonoses caused by the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp., respectively. This report describes the clinical and laboratorial findings of a co-infection with both parasites in a 4-year-old female dog suspected of ehrlichiosis that presented anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinemia, tachyzoite-like structures to the lung imprints, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results positive for T. gondii (kidney, lung, and liver) and Leishmania spp. Co-infection with Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania braziliensis was confirmed by sequencing; restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) confirmed an atypical T. gondii genotype circulating in dogs that has been reported to cause human congenital toxoplasmosis.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from eared doves (Zenaida auriculata) in Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Prevalence and geographical distribution of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs in the urban area of Botucatu, SP, Brazil

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, and can infect a wide variety of animals including humans. Domestic animals can be an important sentinel population for infection in the community. Occurrence of T. gondii infection was assessed in dogs in the urban area of Botucatu city, SP, Brazil. In the sample, 10% rate for error estimate, 95% confidence interval, and 5% significance level were established. Serum samples were collected from dogs during a rabies vaccination campaign, and were processed using modified agglutination test (MAT). Blood samples were collected from 670 dogs, with homogeneous distribution in five regions in the urban area, representing 3.74% of 17,910 animals vaccinated. In this sample, 17.3% (116/670) dogs (68 – 58.6% female and 48 – 41.4% male) were positive for T. gondii infection (p<0.03). Regarding age of the infected dogs 4.6% (4/88) were younger and 95.4% (84/88) were older than one year (p<0.01); the age of 28 positive animals were undetermined. The serum titers of anti-T. gondii antibodies were: 16 (69.8%; 81/116), 64 (13.8%; 16/116), 256 (15.5%; 18/116), and 1024 (0.9%; 1/116). Prevalence was distributed among the North 14.2% (19/134), South 18.0% (31/172), East 15.7% (19/121), West 21.6% (27/125), and Central 16.9% (20/118) regions of the municipality (p=0.5). In all these regions, females and dogs aged more than one year showed a higher occurrence of T. gondii infection (p<0.05).