Profiles of Toxoplasma gondii Circulating Antigen and Seropositivity in HIV Patients

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite, affects more than one-third of the world population. Although most remain asymptomatic, the infection may lead to complications in immunocompromised persons, including HIV patients. Unfortunately, due to the defective immune response, the diagnosis using antibody detection in HIV patients is tricky. Moreover, it is unpractical to differentiate current and past infections. Detection of circulating antigen (cAg) became a choice for acute toxoplasmosis. In this study, we explored the immunoprofiles of T. gondii in HJV patients in Malang. Eighty-seven serum samples were collected from HIV patients attending Saiful Anwar General Hospital in Malang, Indonesia. They were tested simultaneously for T. gondii cAg IgM, and IgG. Relevant clinical data were recorded. We reveal 6.9% (6/87) samples positive for T. gondii cAg. All samples are positive for mti-Toxoplasma IgG, while only 6.9% are positive for IgM. There is no correlation between cAg, IgM, and relevant clinical manifestations. Besides, we identify a high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the HIV patients in Malang. The low cAg prevalence indicate that most patients are in the convalescent phase or had prior infections. Further studies are required to determine the validity and applicability of these methods in the immunocompromised population.