Changes in Toxoplasma diagnosis.

The serological laboratory workload in detecting toxoplasma infection may be expected to change with changes in the clinical profile of patient populations. We have examined the clinical information and laboratory results for patients referred to the Scottish Toxoplasma Reference Laboratory in April-March 1999-2000 and 2009-2010. Numbers of patient sera submitted for testing were similar (1624 and 1552) but there was a change in the clinical profile, with a significant fall in patients with symptoms of current infection (612 versus 335; P<0.

More specific bands in the IgG western blot in sera from Scottish patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis.

Aims: To identify further Western blot bands that may be specific in the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis.

Methods: The Borrelia burgdorferi antibody profiles of 270 western blot positive patients and 241 western blot negative patients from 2008 were examined.

Results: 27 different non-specific bands were detected in both groups.

Toxoplasma tachyzoites from cell culture are more appropriate in some situations.

Background: Laboratories traditionally culture toxoplasma tachyzoites in animals for testing and experimental use. This article considers why available cell culture methods are not used more often.

Aim: To compare HeLa cell culture and animal culture for production of toxoplasma tachyzoites.

Toxoplasma gondii in vitro culture for experimentation.

The aim of this study was to develop a culture method for Toxoplasma gondii that could provide fresh viable tachyzoites as and when required. When T. gondii was continuously maintained in HeLa cell cultures at 37 degrees C, the time to harvest varied from 48 to 144 h.

Usefulness of rat-derived antigen in the serodiagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii infection.

Sera from patients with likely and possible Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) on the basis of clinical information and laboratory investigations were tested by immunoblotting to assess the usefulness of trophozoites in the serodiagnosis of PCP. IgG antibodies to 50-60- kDa proteins were demonstrated with cyst antigen, but antibodies to additional proteins of 61, 70, 82, 95, 99 and 116 kDa were found with trophozoite antigen. These bands were not demonstrated with control sera.

Absorption of IgG does not enhance toxoplasma IgM and IgA immunoblotting.

Total IgG, IgM and IgA levels and toxoplasma IgG, IgM and IgA immunoblotting patterns were assayed in 10 sera before and after IgG absorption with Protein G-Sepharose 4. Removal of IgG (mean reduction 96%) was accompanied by a significant reduction in the level of IgM (mean reduction 56%) and IgA (mean reduction 53%) in nine of the 10 sera. The absorbed supernates showed fewer and weaker IgM bands in five sera, but IgA immunoblotting patterns were unaffected by absorption.