Abstract
Ocular toxoplasmosis is the main cause of posterior uveitis worldwide frequently leading to vision loss. In Brazil, the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection ranges from 50 to 80% depending of the region studied. The frequency of toxoplasmic retinal scar may reach 18% of the adults in the South of Brazil. Our goal was to determine the frequency of T. gondii DNA in retinas from eye banks from different regions in Brazil. A total of 162 eyes were obtained from eye banks in Manaus (n = 60), Sao Paulo (n = 60), Chapeco (n = 26), and Joinville (n = 16). The retinas were macroscopically analyzed and collected for DNA extraction. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed using the T. gondii B1 marker. By qPCR, a higher frequency of T. gondii DNA in the retinas from the eye bank of Joinville (25%) was found when compared to Manaus (5%). The retinas from Sao Paulo and Chapeco were qPCR negative. Clinical examination determined the retina lesions to be compatible with toxoplasmosis in the following frequencies: Joinville (62.5%), Manaus (10%), Sao Paulo (6.7%), and Chapeco (15.4%).
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by CNPq (AGC–grant 400040/2014-0), FAPESP, and CAPES. R.B.J. and L.V.R. are researchers of CNPq–Brazil.
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Costa, D.F., Nascimento, H., Sutili, A. et al. Frequency of Toxoplasma gondii in the retina in eye banks in Brazil. Parasitol Res 116, 2031–2033 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-017-5474-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-017-5474-2