Tracking acute phase protein response during acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which occurs worldwide in mammals and birds. Brain is the primary target organ because Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous intracellular parasite that causes most frequently life-threatening encephalitis in immunocompromised patients. Relation of tissue cysts number, histopathology score and acute phase proteins were investigated. In this study, 36 mice are infected with Me49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. The control group has 6 healthy mice. After inoculation of Toxoplasma gondii, at 10., 15., 20., 30., 45., 60. days, 6 each mice euthanized after collection of blood samples. Hemopexin, haptoglobulin, macroglobulin, serum amyloid A and clusterin levels are determined by ELISA. Then, brain tissues were investigated histopathologically and lesions were scored. The average cyst numbers were determined by counting three samples (25 μl each) of each brain homogenate under light microscopy. Inflammatory reaction was observed on day 10 days after inoculation (d.a.i.) The lesions were characterized by perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration, focal mononuclear cell infiltration in the meninges, and glial proliferation. Tissue cysts were observed in all Toxoplasma gondii-infected groups. The highest lesion score was observed at 60 d.a.i. And the most tissue cyst number were on day 30. d.a.i. Serum levels of hemopexin, haptoglobulin, macroglobulin, serum amyloid A and clusterin were significantly higher than the control group on day 10-20.

Toxoplasmosis: comprensión de la respuesta inmunitaria que influye en la gravedad y la cronicidad de la infección

“…Los linfocitos T y B son importantes para las respuestas adaptativas y también pueden ser importantes para mantener la contención de la infección. En contraste con la investigación realizada por Atmaca, Hasan y col. (Atmaca et al, 2019) si esta respuesta se debilita o se vuelve ineficaz con el tiempo, puede ocurrir una reactivación de la infección y la formación de nuevos quistes. Toxoplasma gondii ha desarrollado estrategias para modular la respuesta inmune del huésped.…”

Parasitological, Molecular, and Histopathological Investigation of the Potential Activity of Propolis and Wheat Germ Oil against Acute Toxoplasmosis in Mice

“…A visual field inspection of at least 10 tissue specimen sections from each experimental group was performed to record the quantitative, semiquantitative, and histopathological changes. The number of parasitic cysts in each examined tissue was also counted in 10 randomized areas (approximately each 1 mm 2 ), as described in [ 59 , 60 ]. Photographs were obtained with a 40× magnification lens.…”

Tamoxifen Increased Parasite Burden and Induced a Series of Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Changes During Chronic Toxoplasmosis in Experimentally Infected Mice

“…The histopathological lesions were then scored by an experienced veterinary pathologist who was unaware of the experimental treatments or their information in advance. Photographs were taken at a magnification of 40×, and the numbers of parasitic cysts were counted in 10 randomized areas (each 1 mm 2 ; Atmaca et al, 2019 ; Ali et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, the histopathological lesions were scored according to set criteria: marked [massive] (41%–100% of tissue involved), moderate (21%–40% of tissue involved), mild (slight; 11%–20% of tissue involved), and minimal (0%–10% of tissue involved) by recording the nature and extent of the lesion and its frequency of occurrence in randomly selected sites in the tissue ( Shackelford et al, 2002 ).…”