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Direct genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from clinical samples from Denmark: not only genotypes II and III

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Abstract

Genetic variation within Toxoplasma gondii can have both clinical and epidemiological significance, while the genotypes circulating in many parts of the world, including the Nordic country Denmark, are still unknown. We genetically characterized T. gondii strains that had been detected in human clinical samples in Denmark in 2011–2016. Samples that had tested positive for T. gondii DNA and had a quantification cycle value <33 were included in this study and subjected to direct genetic characterization of T. gondii based on length-polymorphism of 15 microsatellite markers. A total of 23 DNA samples from 22 individual patients were analyzed. The results were consistent with genotype II with 15/15 markers amplified from seven samples from the central nervous system (CNS) including two samples from one patient, four ocular samples, and one unspecified sample; with genotype III with 15/15 markers amplified from two ocular samples; with genotype Africa 1 with 15/15 markers amplified from one amniotic fluid sample and from one CNS-sample; with atypical genotype with 15/15 markers amplified from one CNS-sample and with 11/15 markers amplified from one CNS-sample; and with HG12-like genotype with 9/15 markers amplified from one CNS-sample. Genotype II, which is endemic in Europe, was predominant, but more than a third of the successfully genotyped strains were non-type-II. The possibility that clinical toxoplasmosis is caused by a strain that is not considered endemic to the region is definitely not negligible.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Martin Ibenholdt Pedersen and Lis Lykke Wassmann for help with the DNA archives, Daniel Ajzenberg for teaching the genetic characterization method to PJ and to JBM, and members of the Burden of Disease of Toxoplasmosis in Denmark Working Group for discussing the work and commenting on the manuscript during its preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Bacteria, Parasites & Fungi, Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark

    P. Jokelainen & H. V. Nielsen

  2. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    P. Jokelainen

  3. Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia

    P. Jokelainen

  4. National Reference Centre for Toxoplasmosis, Biological Resource Center for Toxoplasma, Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, Limoges, France

    J-B. Murat

  5. INSERM, UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France

    J-B. Murat

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  1. P. Jokelainen
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Correspondence to P. Jokelainen or H. V. Nielsen.

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Dataset, MS Excel spreadsheet. (XLSX 24 kb)

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Jokelainen, P., Murat, JB. & Nielsen, H.V. Direct genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from clinical samples from Denmark: not only genotypes II and III. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 37, 579–586 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-3152-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-3152-z

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