the evaluation of interleukin-8 chemokine in chronic and acute toxoplasma gondii infection

aim : we investigated whether the level of il8 was different in patients with chronic and acute toxoplasma gondii infection during the pregnancy compared with control group. background : it is well established that t.gondii infection induces a strong cell-mediated immune response. patients and methods : elisa was used to determine the level of il8 in sera of 568 pregnant women. patients were divided into three groups according to a t.gondii serology.  the first group included 202 women with positive igg titres, the second group was 66 women with igm and negative igg t.gondii serology; and the third group comprised the sera of 300 healthy pregnant women with negative t.gondii serology and served as controls. results : the level of il8 in group i was within normal range similar to control group. however, the level of il8 was increased in those pregnant patients with positive igm t.gondii serology. conclusion : the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as il8 seem to be increased in patients with serological evidence of acute t.gondii infection.