Presence of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts in human semen: Toxoplasmosis as a potential sexually transmissible infection.
J Infect
; 86(1): 60-65, 2023 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36347427
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Toxoplasma gondii is a widely prevalent protozoan parasite in human populations. This parasite is thought to be primarily transmitted through undercooked meat and contamination by cat feces. Here, we seek to determine if Toxoplasma gondii cysts can be found within human semen.METHODS:
We used a mixture of histological and immunofluorescence stains to visualize Toxoplasma gondii cysts in thin smears of human semen. Further, we probed for presence of bradyzoite-specific mRNA transcription using in-situ hybridization.RESULTS:
We visualized Toxoplasma gondii cysts in ejaculates of immune-competent and latently infected human volunteers. We confirmed the encystment by probing transcription of a bradyzoite-specific gene in these structures. These observations extend previous observations of the parasite in semen of several non-human host species, including rats, dogs, and sheep.CONCLUSIONS:
Toxoplasma gondii infection is a clinically significant infection, in view of its high prevalence, its purported role in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as in the more serious form of congenital toxoplasmosis. Our demonstration of intact Toxoplasma gondii cysts in the ejaculate supports the possibility of sexual transmission of the parasite and provides an impetus for further investigations.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Toxoplasma
/
Toxoplasmose
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article