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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Advances in Toxoplasma gondii and Toxoplasmosis
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Advances in Toxoplasma gondii and Toxoplasmosis

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 2516

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Luz Galván-Ramírez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Center for Health Sciences, University of de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada No. 950, Col. Independencia (puerta 7), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Interests: toxoplasmosis; parasitic diseases; intestinal parasites
Prof. Dr. Jorge Enrique Gómez Marín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Grupo Parasitología Molecular (GEPAMOL), Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Quindio, Armenia, Colombia
Interests: parasitology; tropical medicine; protozoology; toxoplasma parasitology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. This disease is one of the most widespread worldwide. It has been one hundred and six years since Toxoplasma was discovered. There is no doubt about the advances regarding this parasite, such as knowledge of the genome and the characterization of different strains. A study of the sexual cycle, through comparative analyses of the enteric and exoenteric transcriptomes of T. gondii, has shown that approximately 50% of the 111 SRS protein genes in the parasite genome were significantly increased, in the enteroepithelial form in cats, and 10% of the SRS genes expressed in tachyzoites. This expression pattern may be related to host specificity. Toxoplasma gondii causes severe damage in congenital infections and in immunocompromised, transplant, and cancer patients. It causes damage to the CNS and has an association with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the ocular level, the most common form of damage is chorioretinitis. In this Special Issue, we aim to uncover the most recent events on Toxoplasma gondii, transmission mechanisms, life cycle, immune response, diagnosis, treatment, and the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis. For this purpose, we welcome research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and short communications related to this topic. We invite you to participate, considering that your articles have cutting-edge information on this topic.

Prof. Dr. Maria Luz Galván-Ramírez
Prof. Dr. Jorge Enrique Gómez Marín
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Toxoplasma gondii
  • toxoplasmosis
  • immune response
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • epidemiology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 617 KiB  
Article
Discrepancies in the Diagnosis of Congenital Toxoplasma gondii Infection Between B1 Gene Semi-Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction and Serological Analyses
by Akiko Uchida, Kenji Tanimura, Keisuke Shirai, Mariko Ashina, Kazumichi Fujioka, Ichiro Morioka, Miwa Sasai, Masahiro Yamamoto and Hideto Yamada
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030601 - 5 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Congenital Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection, which can be caused by a primary T. gondii infection during pregnancy, results in severe neurological sequelae in affected children. We have been conducting a prospective cohort study since January 2019 on pregnant women who [...] Read more.
Congenital Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection, which can be caused by a primary T. gondii infection during pregnancy, results in severe neurological sequelae in affected children. We have been conducting a prospective cohort study since January 2019 on pregnant women who were suspected of having primary T. gondii infection based on serological tests. In this study, congenital infection was diagnosed using semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the B1 gene in the body fluids of newborns. Up until December 2023, forty-one newborns born to mothers suspected of having primary T. gondii infection during pregnancy underwent B1 gene semi-nested PCR tests and anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM measurements of their blood samples. Eight newborns showed no clinical symptoms of congenital T. gondii infection; however, they were diagnosed with congenital T. gondii infection according to positive PCR results. However, none of the eight infants eventually exhibited any sign of congenital infection, as their serum samples tested negative for anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG until 12 months of age. Therefore, clinicians should consider discrepancies in the diagnosis of congenital T. gondii infection between PCR tests using body fluids of newborns and serological tests during their infantile period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Toxoplasma gondii and Toxoplasmosis)
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11 pages, 4669 KiB  
Article
Interleukins IL33/ST2 and IL1-β in Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Seropositivity of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies
by Karen Franco-De León, Eva Elizabeth Camarena, Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez, Ernesto Barrios-Prieto, Andrea Soto-Venegas, Zamira Helena Hernández-Nazara, Yithzel Guadalupe Luna Rojas and María de la Luz Galván-Ramírez
Microorganisms 2024, 12(7), 1420; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12071420 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1468
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is the causal agent of toxoplasmosis. It may produce severe damage in immunocompromised individuals, as well as congenital infection and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Previous reports have associated interleukin IL-33 with miscarriage, fetal damage, and premature delivery [...] Read more.
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is the causal agent of toxoplasmosis. It may produce severe damage in immunocompromised individuals, as well as congenital infection and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Previous reports have associated interleukin IL-33 with miscarriage, fetal damage, and premature delivery due to infections with various microorganisms. However, IL-33 has not been associated with congenital toxoplasmosis. The sST2 receptor has been reported in patients who have had recurrent miscarriages. On the other hand, IL-1β was not found in acute Toxoplasma infection. Our aim was to analyze the associations between the serum levels of IL-33 and IL-1β in IUGR and toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. Eighty-four serum samples from pregnant women who had undergone 26 weeks of gestation were grouped as follows: with anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, without anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, IUGR, and the control group. IgG and IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies, as well as IL-33, ST2, and IL-1β, were determined using an ELISA assay. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson and Chi-square correlation coefficients, as well as the risk factors and Odds Ratios (ORs), with a confidence interval of 95% (CI 95). The results showed that 15/84 (17.8%) of cases were positive for IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and 2/84 (2.38%) of cases were positive for IgM. A statistically significant difference was found between IUGR and IL-33 (p < 0.001), as well as between ST2 and IUGR (p < 0.001). In conclusion, IUGR was significantly associated with IL-33 and ST2 positivity based on the overall IUGR grade. No significant association was found between IUGR and the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. There was no association between IL-1β and IUGR. More research is needed to strengthen the utility of IL-33 and ST2 as biomarkers of IUGR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Toxoplasma gondii and Toxoplasmosis)
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