Toxoplasmosis Related Uveitis: Clinic, Diagnosis, and Treatment

2019 ◽  
pp. 237-243
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Posterior Uveitis ◽  
Ocular Toxoplasmosis ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Frequent Form

Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is considered the most frequent form of infectious posterior uveitis and is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Despite large advances in the field of OT, large gaps still exist in our knowledge concerning the epidemiology and pathophysiology of this potentially blinding infectious old disease. In this review, we aimed to investigate the current clinical understanding of OT, diagnosis treatment options.

scholarly journals Defining the Location of T-bet-expressing Myeloid Cells During Acute Intestinal Toxoplasma gondii Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melody Wickstrom ◽  
Madison Schanz ◽  
Kimberly Larson ◽  
Américo H. López-Yglesias
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Myeloid Cells ◽  
Myeloid Cell ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parasite Infection ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii Infection ◽  
Deficient Mice

Background/Objective: The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is the second leading cause of foodborne pathogen-related deaths in the United States. The transcription factor T-bet is indispensable for host immunity against T. gondii. The absence of T-bet results in rapid susceptibility during parasite infection. T-bet has been considered essential for T-cell-derived IFN-g during T. gondii infection; yet, recent research has shown that T-bet is not required for lymphocyte-derived IFN-g responses. Our preliminary research shows that T-bet-deficient mice succumb to parasite infection significantly quicker than mice lacking lymphocytes. This has led to our hypothesis that T-bet-dependent myeloid cells are critical for host resistance during acute intestinal T. gondii infection. The objective of this project was to define the location of the T-bet-expressing myeloid cells in the medial small intestines (MSI) of naïve and infected mice during acute mucosal parasite infection. Methods: We used immunofluorescence microscopy to determine the location of T-bet-expressing myeloid cells in the MSI of naïve and T. gondii infected mice. Mice were orally infected with 40 cysts of the ME49 strain of T. gondii. On days 0 and 5, one-inch MSI segments were harvested, fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for at least one hour, and then frozen in OCT compound. Tissues were then cut into 8mm sections and placed onto slides for staining. Sections were stained for nuclei, CD11c, T-bet, and T. gondii. Results: Our results revealed T-bet-expressing CD11c+ cells in both the MSI and spleen on days 0 and 5 of T. gondii infection. Summary: These data indicate that T-bet-expressing myeloid cells are present in the MSI during T. gondii infection. Defining the position of these cells will allow us to determine T-bet’s role in mediating myeloid cell-dependent T. gondii clearance. Due to the limited treatment options for patients suffering from toxoplasmosis it is critical to define new mechanisms for eliminating T. gondii.

scholarly journals Promising Drug Targets and Compounds with Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1960
Author(s):  
Marco Silva ◽  
Cátia Teixeira ◽  
Paula Gomes ◽  
Margarida Borges
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
World Population

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the globally distributed protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which infects around one-third of the world population. This disease may result in serious complications for fetuses, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals. Current treatment options are old, limited, and possess toxic side effects. Long treatment durations are required since the current therapeutic system lacks efficiency against T. gondii tissue cysts, promoting the establishment of latent infection. This review highlights the most promising drug targets involved in anti-T. gondii drug discovery, including the mitochondrial electron transport chain, microneme secretion pathway, type II fatty acid synthesis, DNA synthesis and replication and, DNA expression as well as others. A description of some of the most promising compounds demonstrating antiparasitic activity, developed over the last decade through drug discovery and drug repurposing, is provided as a means of giving new perspectives for future research in this field.

scholarly journals Biological Diagnosis of Ocular Toxoplasmosis: a Nine-Year Retrospective Observational Study

mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Greigert ◽  
Alexander W. Pfaff ◽  
Arnaud Sauer ◽  
Denis Filisetti ◽  
Ermanno Candolfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Posterior Uveitis ◽  
Ocular Toxoplasmosis ◽  
Antibody Detection ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Biological Tests ◽  
Single Positive

ABSTRACT Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), i.e., the ocular manifestation of Toxoplasma gondii infection, is one of the leading causes of posterior uveitis. While ocular lesions are often typical, atypical forms often require biological confirmation of the diagnosis. Our study sought to review the biological OT diagnoses made in our laboratory to further assess the role of each test in the diagnostic procedure. All ocular samples sent to our laboratory over the last 9 years for OT diagnosis were included. These samples were analyzed using T. gondii PCR and antibody detection by means of immunoblotting and Candolfi coefficient (CC) determinations, either alone or in combination. Since serum analysis is required to interpret both the CC and immunoblotting, blood serology for T. gondii was also performed in most cases. Of the 249 samples analyzed, 80 (32.1%; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 26.3 to 37.9) were positive for OT. Of these 80 cases, 52/80 (65.0%; 54.6 to 74.5) displayed a positive PCR, 15/80 (18.8%; 10.2 to 27.3) a positive CC, and 33/80 (41.3%; 95%CI, 30.5 to 52.0) a positive immunoblot result. Overall, 63 of the 80 OT diagnoses (78.8%; 95%CI, 69.8 to 87.7) were made on the basis of a single positive test result. Our study results remind us that current biological diagnostic tools for OT must be employed in combination to obtain an optimal diagnosis based on the precious ocular fluids sampled by ophthalmologists. Clinicobiological studies that are focused on correlating the performances of the different tests with clinical features are critically needed to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and diagnosis of OT. IMPORTANCE Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), a parasitic infection of the eye, is considered to be the most important infectious cause of posterior uveitis worldwide. Its prevalence is particularly high in South America, where aggressive Toxoplasma gondii strains are responsible for more-severe presentations. The particular pathophysiology of this infection leads, from recurrence to recurrence, to potentially severe vision impairment. The diagnosis of this infection is usually exclusively based on the clinical examination. However, the symptoms may be misleading and are not always sufficient to confirm a diagnosis of OT. In such cases, biological tests performed by means of several techniques on blood and ocular samples may facilitate the diagnosis. In this study, we analyzed the tests that were performed in our laboratory over a 9-year period every time OT was suspected. Our report highlights that the quality of ocular sampling by ophthalmologists and combinations of several techniques are critical for a reliable biological OT diagnosis.

scholarly journals Macular pucker, an atypical clinical presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis: a case report

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Zhang ◽  
Chun-yan Xue ◽  
Ya-jun Liu ◽  
Wen-wen Zhang ◽  
Zheng-gao Xie
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Final Diagnosis ◽  
Macular Pucker ◽  
Ocular Toxoplasmosis ◽  
Macular Area ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Vitreous Sample

Abstract Background Ocular toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii is an infectious disease which is widely distributed around the world and can present with various clinic manifestations. We are here reporting an unusual case presented with epiretinal membrane (ERM), i.e., macular pucker. Case presentation A 16-year old male patient visited our outpatient clinic complaining of decreased vision for about 8 years in his left eye. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 OD and 20/400 OS. There was sensory exotropia in his left eye. No inflammatory cells or flare were found in his anterior chamber or vitreous cavity OU. An ERM involving his left macular area was found on his dilated fundus exam, which was confirmed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The ERM was found to involve his left macular area with his foveal ellipsoid zone absent. The right eye was found to be within normal limit. After a thorough discussion with the patient and his parents about treatment options and surgical benefits, risks and alternatives, we performed vitrectomy, peeled off the ERM and collected the vitreous sample for parasite testing during the procedure. Patient’s blood also was drawn for serological testing. Vitreous sample analysis and serological tests confirmed ocular toxoplasmosis OS as his final diagnosis. Unfortunately, the BCVA of this patient was not improved after the surgery, but the exotropia disappeared. Conclusion ERM is an unusual clinical presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis. We may add Toxoplasma gondii infection as a differential diagnosis when encountering ERM cases.

Current Progresses of Functional Nanomaterials for Imaging Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (27) ◽  
pp. 2494-2506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Congcong Zhu ◽  
Yunjie Zhu ◽  
Huijun Pan ◽  
Zhongjian Chen ◽  
Quangang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Skin Tumor ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Drugs ◽  
Imaging Diagnosis ◽  
Functional Nanomaterials ◽  
Disease Prognosis ◽  
Unsuccessful Treatment ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Malignant Skin

Melanoma is a malignant skin tumor that results in poor disease prognosis due to unsuccessful treatment options. During the early stages of tumor progression, surgery is the primary approach that assures a good outcome. However, in the presence of metastasis, melanoma hasbecome almost immedicable, since the tumors can not be removed and the disease recurs easily in a short period of time. However, in recent years, the combination of nanomedicine and chemotherapeutic drugs has offered promising solutions to the treatment of late-stage melanoma. Extensive studies have demonstrated that nanomaterials and their advanced applications can improve the efficacy of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs in order to overcome the disadvantages, such as drug resistance, low drug delivery rate and reduced targeting to the tumor tissue. In the present review, we summarized the latest progress in imaging diagnosis and treatment of melanoma using functional nanomaterials, including polymers, liposomes, metal nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles and carbon-based nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are reported widely in melanoma chemotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and hyperthermia.

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