Investigation of the Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Patients With Malignancies, Southwest of Iran

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease, has the capacity to infect humans, other warm-blooded animals, and cats. Individuals with compromised immune systems, including cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, individuals with AIDS, transplant recipients, and hemodialysis patients, are at an increased risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. The challenge in diagnosing toxoplasmosis in such cases stems from the similarity of certain symptoms to those of cancer or chemotherapy-related complications. Consequently, the ELISA test is employed to ascertain the presence of the infection and to determine the quantity of antibodies in the patient. A total of 90 cancer patients who had been admitted to the hospital and were undergoing chemotherapy were included in the study. Blood samples were collected from these patients, who were at various stages of chemotherapy. The anti-toxoplasma antibody titer was subsequently determined using the ELISA method, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. In this study, 50 (55.6%) of the subjects were female and 40 (44.4%) were male. All samples were found to be negative for IgM antibody titers, while 50 (55.6%) were positive for IgG antibodies. In patients with positive test results, the most common clinical symptoms were lethargy and anorexia. While anti-toxoplasma IgG antibodies exhibited a higher prevalence among male subjects, no statistically significant discrepancy was observed between gender and infection rates. Furthermore, in comparison with individuals who have not received chemotherapy, those with a history of chemotherapy exhibited elevated levels of anti-toxoplasma IgG antibodies. The level of anti-toxoplasma IgG in malignant patients hospitalized in this hospital was high, but statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the prevalence of toxoplasma and the type of cancer. Individuals diagnosed with cancer face an elevated risk of developing severe toxoplasmosis and its associated consequences, attributable to the high incidence of T. gondii. Consequently, oncologists must recognize this grave medical condition as necessitating prompt attention. Copyright © 2023 by Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute.