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This cross-sectional study evaluates the presence of antibodies against Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in cattle raised in Realeza, PR. There was a seroprevalence of N. caninum and T. gondii of 87.5% and 67.9%, respectively in the properties assessed. The frequencies of T. gondii and N. caninum in the animals were 41.1% and 55.1%, respectively. The studied coccidia are widely distributed in dairy cows reared on family farms in the municipality of Realeza, PR. Sanitary control for reproductive diseases must be adopted to prevent miscarriages and the economic damage caused by the disease. Future studies should be performed to investigate how widespread these pathogens are in cattle herds in southwestern Parana.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogenic agent responsible for causing both systemic and local disease which elicits a typically pro-inflammatory, Th1 immune response. Taenia crassiceps antigen induces a Th2 immune response that immunomodulates Th1 based infections. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate whether T. crassiceps cysticerci antigens are able to modulate the inflammatory response triggered in experimental neurotoxoplasmosis (NT). BALB/c mice were inoculated with T. gondii cysts and/or cysticerci antigens and euthanized at 60 and 90days after inoculation (DAI). The histopathology of the brains and cytokines produced by spleen cells culture were performed. The animals from the NT group, 90DAI (NT90), presented greater intensity of lesions such as vasculitis, meningitis and microgliosis and cytokines from Th1 profile characterized by high levels of IFN-gamma. While in the T. crassiceps antigens group, 60DAI, there were more discrete lesions and high levels of IL-4, a Th2 cytokine. In the NT co-inoculated with cysticerci antigens group the parenchyma lesions were more discrete with lower levels of IFN-gamma and higher levels of IL-4 when compared to NT90. Therefore the inoculation of T. crassiceps antigens attenuated the brain lesions caused by T. gondii inducing a Th2 immune response.

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A toxoplasmose é uma zoonose altamente disseminada. A maio­ria das infecções em imunocompetentes é assintomática. Porém, em pacientes imunodeprimidos, a infecção adquire um curso variável. Em pacientes com contagem de CD4 abaixo de 100 e que foram previamente expostos ao Toxoplasma gondii, pode haver reativação da doença em diversos tecidos. Envolvimento do trato gastrintestinal por Toxoplasma gondii é raramente relatado. Embora os sintomas gastrintestinais sejam comuns entre os pacientes com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida, a maioria é causada por infecções entéricas que não o Toxoplasma gondii. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar um caso raro de toxoplasmose gástrica. Paciente do gênero feminino, 38 anos, com diagnóstico recente de vírus da imunodeficiência humana, iniciou sintomas gástricos inespecíficos como: epigastralgia, náuseas, vômitos e perda ponderal. O diagnóstico definitivo foi fechado com o estudo anatomopatológico da lesão na mucosa gástrica. Foi instituído tratamento para a toxoplasmose com clindamicina, pirimetamina e ácido folínico (devido à mielotoxicidade), com melhora parcial dos sintomas. Embora raro, a toxoplasmose gástrica deve entrar no diagnóstico diferencial de dor epigástrica em pacientes portadores da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida com contagem de CD4 baixa. Seu diagnóstico pre­suntivo pode ser dado pelo quadro clínico, mas o diagnóstico definitivo é obtido pela biópsia da lesão...

Toxoplasmosis is a highly disseminated zoonosis. Most infections are asymptomatic in immunocompetent patients. However, in immunocompromised patients, infection acquires a variable course. In patients with CD4 counts lower than 100 and who have been previously exposed to Toxoplasma gondii, there may be reactivation of the disease in various tissues. Involvement of the gastrointestinal tract by Toxoplasma gondii is rarely reported. Although gastrointestinal symptoms are common among patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, most are caused by enteric infections other than Toxoplasma gondii. The aim of this study was to report a rare case of gastric toxoplasmosis. A 38-year-­old female patient, recently diagnosed with immunodeficiency human virus, presented with nonspecific gastric symptoms such as epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. The definitive diagnosis was reached with anatomopathological examination of gastric mucosa damage. She was treated for toxoplasmosis with clindamycin, pyrimethamine and folinic acid (due to myelotoxicity), with partial improvement of symptoms. Although rare, gastric toxoplasmosis should enter the differential diagnosis of epigastric pain in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with low CD4 count. Its presumptive diagnosis can be made on a clinical basis, but the definitive diagnosis is reached with biopsy...

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Infection by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is widely prevalent in humans and animals. To prevent human infection, all meat should be well cooked before consumption, since the parasite is present in skeletal muscle. In this context, the use of skeletal muscle cells (SkMCs) as a cellular model opens up new approaches to investigate T. gondii-host cell interactions. Immunofluorescent detection of proteins that are stage-specific for bradyzoites indicated that complete cystogenesis of T. gondii in in vitro cultures of SkMCs occurs after 96 h of infection. Ultrastructural analysis showed that, after 48 h of interaction, there were alterations on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, including greater thickness and increased electron density at the inner face of the membrane. The present study demonstrates the potential use of primary cultures of SkMCs to evaluate different molecular aspects of T. gondii invasion and cystogenesis and presents a promising in vitro model for the screening of drug activities toward tissue cysts and bradyzoites.

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