Toxoplasma gondii infection and cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients

Future Microbiol. 2009 Dec;4:1363-79.

Toxoplasma gondii infection and cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients

Pereira-Chioccola VL, Vidal JE, Su C.

Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 351, 8 andar, CEP 01246-902, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. pchioccola@ial.sp.gov.br.

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected patients, particularly from developing countries. This article summarizes current literature on cerebral toxoplasmosis. It focuses on: Toxoplasma gondii genetic diversity and its possible relationship with disease presentation; host responses to the parasite antigens; host immunosupression in HIV and cerebral toxoplasmosis as well as different diagnostic methods; clinical and radiological features; treatment; and the direction that studies on cerebral toxoplasmosis will likely take in the future.

PMID: 19995194 [PubMed - in process]