Background: This study was designed to evaluate whether or not T. GONDII and its derivatives can change the gene expression level of IL-10 in murine leukocytes in vivo. Methods: Fifty BALB/c mice were divided into 5 groups, four of which received the excretory/secretory product (ESP) from cell culture medium, the ESP from cell free medium, the TOXOPLASMA lysate product (TLP) and the active tachyzoites, respectively. The fifth group was considered as control and received PBS. The peritoneal leukocytes from the mice were collected. Their total RNA were extracted and converted to cDNA and the gene expression levels of IL-10 in the samples were evaluated by quantitative real time-PCR using the REST-2009 software. Results: The findings showed a decrease in the expression level of IL-10 in the TLP group (p=0. 004). Moreover, the IL-10 gene expression level was upregulated in the group of the ESP from cell culture medium (p=0. 04) and the active tachyzoite group (p=0. 04). The expression of IL-10 gene in the group of ESP from cell-free medium was not significant compared to the control one (p=0. 45). Conclusion: T. GONDII and its derivatives are able to increase (the active T. GONDII tachyzoite and the ESP from cell culture medium) and decrease (the TLP) the gene expression level of IL-10 in a murine model. The question remains to be examined in further study about which molecules are involved in this process.

Background: Our aim was to detect the rate of TOXOPLASMA GONDII infections and the coinfections in childbearing age women in Turkey accompanying using seroprevalence data from a multicenter hospital setting.Methods: Overal, 17751 childbearing age women through 16-45 years were included to the study between 2004 and 2010. The clinical samples of the patients were collected from 16 hospitals and medical centers mostly from Istanbul and three other cities from Turkey. Enzyme immunoassay tests were performed in our central laboratory in Istanbul to investigate T. GONDIIwith other TORCH infections or Epstein Barr virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and Human Immunodificiency virus as accompanying infections.Results: Among the tested sera 1.34% of the women were IgM and 24.61% were IgG positive for T. GONDII. The coinfection rate was 3.36% among the IgM positive patients. CMV, EBV, HCV and rubella were detected as coinfections. IgM seropositivities of those infection agents were accepted as acute infection. CMV and EBV were detected as 1.26% and HCV and rubella were detected as 0.42%.Conclusion: Turkish female population was found infected with T. GONDII in high rates. Some of the seropositive patients also had accompanying CMV, EBV, HCV and rubella infections. Our aim was to detect TOXOPLASMA seropositivity and the accompanying infections with their rates. While coinfections worsen the situation unless they are detected, it is important to determine exact situation of the patient for the management of the therapy.

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic disease. There is likelihood of exposure to TOXOPLASMA GONDII in blood donors during the periods of life. Currently, laboratory screening of blood donors for T. GONDII is not routinely available. The objectives of this review were to study the effects of T. GONDII on blood safety and to approach for risk reduction in blood recipients.Methods: A literature search was performed using Cochrane library, PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar IranMedex, SID and Magiran without time limitation. All studies, which had reported the prevalence of T. GONDII in Iranian blood donors in both English and Farsi languages, were evaluated and reviewed. The contents of the transfusion medicine text books related to this issue were reviewed. Searching keywords were "Blood Donors" or "Blood Transfusion" and "TOXOPLASMA" or "Toxoplasmosis" and Iran.Results: In order to study the prevalence of T. GONDII in Iranian blood donors, six studies have been reviewed. IgG and IgM antibodies varied between 12.3% to 52.8% and 0% to 5.47%. Some of these studies have suggested to doing the screening for all blood donors. However, based on parasitological and epidemiological evidences, there is little chance for parasite transmission by blood transfusion.Conclusion: By considering the moderate prevalence, difficulty in the differentiation between recent and past infections, and cost-effectiveness, it is not possible and rational to perform screening of donated blood. To reduce the risk of parasite transmission, leukofilteration method is recommended.

Purpose: TOXOPLASMA GONDII is a widespread protozoan parasite that infects a broad range of warm blooded animals as well as humans. The present study was investigated to evaluate the effects of allium cepa on renal failur in male rats which experimentally infected by TOXOPLASMA GONDII, RH strain.Methods: Wistar male rat (n=40) were allocated into four groups, group one that received tachyzoites of T. GONDII (ip) (n=10), group two that received tachyzoites of T. GONDII (ip), plus fresh onion juice by gavages method (n=10), group three received just fresh onion juice by gavages method (n=10) and control group (n=10) that received nothing. Animals were kept in standard condition. In 30 day after inducing TOXOPLASMA infection, 5cc blood was collected for serum protein and TAC levels. Kidney tissues of Rat in whole groups were removed and prepared for apopetosis analysis.Results: Serum protein and kidneys weights were significantly decreased in groups that were infected with T. GONDII, in comparison to control and onions groups. Kidneys Apopetosis in TOXOPLASMA group significantly increased in comparison to control group (P<0.05).level of TAC was significantly increased in groups that received onio juice (P<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that T. GONDII have significantly effect on serum protein and TAC, apopetosis and fresh onion juice returned and treated this harmful effect, so it is suggested that eating of onion is useful in TOXOPLASMA infection.

Background and purpose: TOXOPLASMA GONDII (T. GONDII) as a causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular parasite which is excreted by the cat's feces. Efforts have been made for the development of toxoplasmosis vaccine, but none led to developing a vaccine with protective immune response to the parasite. Adjuvants are essential for vaccine formulation to create strong immune responses. As an adjuvant, nanomaterials such as nano-alum, can stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses. The present report aimed to investigate the protective effects of the alum-based nanoadjuvant formulated in killed T. GONDII. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, the vaccine candidates were separately formulated in alum, complete Freund, and nano-alum adjuvants. The BALB/c mice were immunized three times with two-week intervals. To investigate the type of induced immune response, sera were analyzed by ELISA for total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a isotypes and also IL-4, IFN-γ , TNF-α , and IL-2 cytokines. To evaluate lymphocyte proliferation, BrdU method was performed. Results: Immunization of mice with killed TOXOPLASMA vaccine formulated with nano-alum adjuvant increased lymphocyte proliferation, TNF-α , IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-γ cytokine responses, total antibodies, as well as IgG1 and IgG2a subtypes compared with those of other experimental groups. Conclusion: Compared with alum-based killed TOXOPLASMA vaccine, the nano-alum adjuvant could strongly induce cellular and humoral immune responses.

Background: TOXOPLASMA GONDII is a unicellular apicomplex organism, belonging to the TOXOPLASMA genus. The parasite infects humans, as well as mammalians and different species of birds, and it can be propagated in a wide range of host cells. There have been no appropriate molecular or serological studies carried out previously in Iran on the prevalence of TOXOPLASMA GONDII in rodents.Objectives: Therefore, the present study has been carried out to provide genetic identification and determination of wild rats in Tehran, Iran.Materials and Methods: Forty rats in Tehran were caught with traps. Subsequently, their brains were removed under sterile conditions, DNA extraction was performed with a phenol and chloroform method. In the current study, a repetitive sequence in the genome T. GONDII was used for identification with a specific primer. By sequencing the purified Polymerase Chain Reaction product, seven strains were determined out of the positive samples.Results: Of the forty samples, 20 samples (50%) were positive for the 529-bp band. Samples No. 21 and No. 28 had 95% and 92% similarity with the RH strain sequence, respectively, which had the highest identity rate. The identity rate for samples No. 16 and No. 28 was 82% and 81%, respectively, which had the lowest rate of identification.Conclusions: The contamination rate was determined to be 50% using the PCR method. It can be stated that rats play an important role in the preservation of the TOXOPLASMA life cycle in Tehran. According to the alignment of results obtained from the seven sequenced samples, the highest similarity was observed with the RH strain (81-95%).

Background: Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important diseases in humans and animals. Almost one-third of the human population around the world is infected with toxoplasmosis. The agent of this parasitic disease is a protozoan calledTOXOPLASMA GONDII (T.GONDII) that causes encephalitis in people with suppressed immune systems and abortion, mental retardation and chorioretinitis in the fetus. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most important neurodegenerative disease.Objectives: Due to the high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in Iran and evidence on its impact on neurodegenerative diseases, this study was performed to evaluate theT. GONDII infection in patients with AD.Patients and Methods: In this case-control study, after selection of alzheimer’s patients (APs) referred to ImamReza psychiatric hospital of Khorramabad, west of Iran, and healthy controls (each group consisted of 87 individuals), using the convenience sampling method and under the supervision of a neurologist, blood samples were taken during July 2014 and January 2015. The collected samples were transferred to the research laboratory of parasitology under cold chain storage and then, the serum samples were separated by centrifugation and were frozen at -20°C until use. TheT. GONDII IgM and IgG specific antibodies were assessed in serum samples using commercial Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits.Results: The overall prevalence of T. GONDII infection in patients with AD and the control group, using ELISA assay, was obtained as 66.6% (58.87) and 56.32% (49.87), respectively (P=0.99). In this study, there was no significant association betweenT. GONDII infection and AD. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of infection withT.GONDII (P=0.99).Conclusions: Higher prevalence of T. GONDII in patients with AD compared to controls showed the possible impact of this parasite in AD, which may exacerbate symptoms, and this requires special attention of specialists and patient families.