The occurrence of Toxoplasma antibodies in domestic outpatient cats in the city of São Paulo was evaluated using the indirect immunofluorescence assay. A total of 248 blood samples obtained from male and female cats seen at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of São Paulo between February 1996 and January 1997 were tested. Of these, 17.7% were positive, with a 64 titer being dete...

Five recombinant Toxoplasma gondii antigens, designated B427, C51, C55, V22, and MBP30 were assessed for their potential use in an enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) for detection of T. gondii infection in swine. The antigens were evaluated with sera from young pigs that had been fed 1-10,000 T. gondii oocysts of the VEG or GT-1 strains. Results were compared with an EIA using a native T. gondii a...

The double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has been compared with the indirect fluorescence assay for the detection of immunoglobulin M antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in humans. Incubation times have been shortened, permitting the test to be completed within 2 h. The double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is confirmed to be more sensitive and more specific than the i...

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has proved to be a sensitive and specific quantitative procedure for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Using the toxoplasma model, several parameters of the test were investigated. Day-to-day reproducibility was 90% within one twofold dilution and 98% specific when tested against batteries of sera from other diseases. Both the tube method and the ...

Apicomplexan parasites rely on actin-based gliding motility to move across the substratum, cross biological barriers, and invade their host cells. Gliding motility depends on polymerization of parasite actin filaments, yet ∼98% of actin is nonfilamentous in resting parasites. Previous studies suggest that the lack of actin filaments in the parasite is due to inherent instability, leaving uncert...

Two symptomatic Toxoplasma infections of laboratory personnel have been serologically followed up for 5.5 and 10 months, respectively. Results obtained by commonly used test systems (indirect fluorescent antibody tests for IgG and IgM antibodies, complement fixation test) were compared with those of two recently developed and improved tests for IgM detection (immunosorbent agglutination assay [...

The fate of an intracellular pathogen in mononuclear phagocytes appears to be an important determinant of the capacity of the pathogen to cause disease. Antibody against the pathogen can markedly alter the intracellular fate of the pathogen in mononuclear phagocytes; such an effect of antibody is reflected in vivo by enhanced resistance to infection of animals that have been passively immunized...

BACKGROUND About 30% of the population worldwide are infected with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Latent toxoplasmosis has many specific behavioral and physiological effects on the human organism. Modified reactivity of the immune system has been suggested to play a key role in many of these effects. For example, the immunosuppression hypothesis explains the higher probability of the...

OBJECTIVE A number of studies have reported association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Chlamydia infection and the risk of schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to compare the prevalence of T. gondii and Chlamydia infection between the schizophrenia and normal control subjects and to compare the clinical features between seropositive and seronegative schizophrenia patients....

Neosporosis and toxoplasmosis are parasitic diseases which can cause reproductive problems in goats and sheep. The current study aimed to determine the occurrence of anti-Neospora caninum and anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in goats and sheep from the districts of Amarante do Maranhão and Buritirana, Imperatriz microregion, western area of Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil, and to asses...