seroprevalence and molecular evaluation of toxoplasmosis in patients undergoing chemotherapy for malignancies in the bushehr province, southwest iran

Background: toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening infection in organ transplant recipients, people receiving corticosteroid or radiation therapy, people with malignancies, and aids patients. objectives: the current study aimed to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients receiving chemotherapy for malignancies in the bushehr province of southwest iran. methods: blood samples were taken from 86 patients who were continuously referred to the chemotherapy center in bushehr province and evaluated by elisa to determine anti-toxoplasma igg and igm antibodies. moreover, a blood buffy coat of each sample was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr), targeting a 529 bp gene of t. gondii. pcr products of the positive samples were sequenced to determine the genotype of the parasite. results: anti-toxoplasma igg antibodies were detected in the sera of 21 (24.4%) cases. all of the patients were negative for anti-toxoplasma igm antibodies. no statistically significant correlation was found between seropositivity to toxoplasma and duration of chemotherapy or having contact with cats. pcr detected a 529 bp band of t. gondii in the buffy coats of two out of 86 (2.3%) cases. the sequence analysis demonstrated that both cases were 95% identical to type iii (veg strain) of t. gondii. conclusions: findings of this study demonstrated the presence of type iii t. gondii in the buffy coats of patients undergoing chemotherapy. given that toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, these patients should be screened for toxoplasmosis before and during chemotherapy to prevent acute toxoplasmosis.