Is toxoplasmosis a potential risk factor for liver cirrhosis?
10.1016/j.apjtm.2015.09.003
- Author:
Abeer ABD EL-REHIM EL-HENAWY
1
;
Manar Sobh AZAB
1
;
Ahmed ABDEL-RAZIK
2
;
Sahar ZAKARIA
2
;
Dina ELHAMMADY
2
;
Niveen SAUDY
3
Author Information
1. Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University
2. Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University
3. Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Child-Pugh score;
HBV;
HCV;
Liver cirrhosis;
METAVIR score;
Toxoplasma gondii
- From:
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine
2015;8(10):784-791
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective: To document Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) antibody status in patients with liver disease, blood samples were taken from 180 hepatic patients and 180 healthy controls. Methods: Toxoplasma IgG antibody was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and histopathological assessment of liver biopsy METAVIR score was applied. Results: Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 32.8% of patients and in 22.2% of controls (P = 0.02). Toxoplasma seropositivity was significantly associated with lymphadenopathy, history of blood transfusion and reflex impairment in patients. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and chronic HCV-related cirrhosis groups compared to chronic HBV and chronic HBV-related cirrhosis groups expressed significantly higher prevalence of T. gondii seropositivity (odds ratio (OR) = 4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-12.6; P = 0.013, OR = 4.8; 95% CI: 1.5-14.9; P = 0.006, respectively). Within the chronic HCV group, T. gondii seropositivity significantly associated disease evolution as regards to METAVIR histopathological system for fibrosis and inflammation (. OR = 19.4; 95% CI: 2.3-165.2; P = 0.0008, OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.1-0.8; P = 0.01, respectively). Albumin, international normalized ratio (INR) and platelets count were the laboratory parameters significantly altered in Toxoplasma-positive chronic HCV patients (P = 0.001, 0.03, 0.04, respectively). Child-Pugh scoring for cirrhosis in chronic HCV group placed the majority of seropositive patient in class C with significant statistical difference compared to Child A reference group (OR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01-0.5; P = 0.003). Conclusions: Toxoplasma seropositivity was high in patients with cirrhosis and associated higher grades of inflammation and necrosis signifying disease evolution, suggesting that cirrhotic patients may thus form a risk group for toxoplasmosis.
