Background: Toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent people is generally asymptomatic, but in immunocompromised patients including those suffering from human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), it leads to serious opportunistic infections (OIs), the most common being cerebral toxoplasmosis or toxoplasmic encephalitis.
Objective: The objective of the current study was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies in HIV/AIDS patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Material and Methods: The study design was a hospital–based, crosssectional observational study. 100 HIV-positive patients were included in the study. Their serum samples were collected, and sera surveyed employing ELISA assay. Database was created in MS Excel, and appropriate descriptive and analytical statistics were calculated using Epi info statistical package.
Results: 52% of the patients were seropositivity. Seropositivity was significantly associated with low CD4 counts.
Conclusion: Seropositivity among HIV patients in our study group was as high as 52%. Toxoplasma infection being an important OI in HIV/AIDS patients; hence, screening for toxoplasma antibodies should continue to be stressed upon for all HIV patients when they present to the health-care provider.
Key words: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Toxoplasma Antibodies; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Seroprevalence
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