Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in immunosuppressed mice using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) techniques.

In the present study, Toxoplasma infection with the virulent and avirulent strains in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice was diagnosed using the MDS ELISA for detection of CA in sera and the PCR for demonstration of DNA in livers, brains and mononuclear cells of blood. Both techniques proved to be convenient, especially in immunosuppressed mice.

Opportunistic intestinal protozoa in chronic diarrhoeic immunosuppressed patients.

Chronic diarrhoea accompanied by weight loss is a common and often debilitating problem in immunocompromized patients, receiving chemotherapeutic agents. In these patients, the intestinal opportunistic parasites probably played a major role in causing this clinical manifestation. The present work, aims to search for these parasites.

Serum IgG antibody response to Pneumocystis carinii among immunosuppressed, malnourished and healthy rats.

Pneumocystis carinii is an important opportunistic pulmonary pathogen that causing pneumonia in premature infants, children with immunodeficiency diseases and patients of all ages receiving immunosuppressive agents. In this work, humoral immune responses to this organism were studied, using IFAT during the period of infection and recovery of immunosuppressed and malnourished rats compared to healthy group. Where sever pneumonitis similar to that seen in humans can be induced in this experimental model.

Effect of toxoplasmosis on experimental schistosomiasis.

One hundred and twenty Swiss albino mice were infected with avirulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii (Czechoslovakian strain) challenged with Schistosoma mansoni at different intervals of one week, one month, and two months. Worm load, egg count, oogram pattern and liver and spleen weight were assessed for each mouse. Toxoplasmosis induced a significant resistance to Schistosoma mansoni challenge infection as evidenced by the reduction in worm load, egg count and changes in oogram pattern.

Pneumocystis carinii: recognition of the infection in albino rats using different stains.

Pneumocystis carinii is a commensal protozoan which may cause pneumonia in hosts with compromised immune status and may end fatally. Since effective management of pneumocystic pneumonia depends on rapid and accurate recognition of the disease, so, the present study aims to throw lights on the best staining method for cytodiagnosis of this organism with the sequential pathological changes in the infected lungs. An immunosuppression state was induced in albino rats for 6-8 weeks then rats were sacrificed weekly & lungs were examined for infection using different stains.