TITLE:
CD4 T-Lymphocytes Count in HIV-Toxoplasma gondii Co-Infected Pregnant Women Undergoing a Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Program
AUTHORS:
Gnatoulma Katawa, Malewe Kolou, Liza Koboyo Nadjir, Essoham Ataba, Gatigbene Bomboma, Simplice Damintoti Karou
KEYWORDS:
HIV, Toxoplasma gondii, Co-Infection, CD4+ T Lymphocytes Count
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.6 No.4,
April
27,
2018
ABSTRACT: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii)
is a parasite responsible of toxoplasmosis, a disease often asymptomatic but
with serious consequences in pregnant women and immunocompromised subjects. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of T. gondii infection on CD4+ T lymphocytes count in HIV-infected
pregnant women. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of pregnant
women co-infected by HIV and T. gondii.
The study was conducted from January to July 2016 at the Prevention of Mother-to-Child
Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) sites in the Health District of Lacs in Togo.
Diagnosis of HIV was performed by immuno-chromatographic methods with Determine TM HIV-1/2 and
immuno-filtration with Tri-Dot HIV-1 and 2 kits. Presence of anti-toxoplasmic
IgG and IgM antibodies was established via enzyme immunoassay using
ELISA-BIOREX® kit. Flow cytometry was used to count CD4+ T lymphocytes. Results: Our study found that of the 4599 pregnant women, 111 (2.41%) were HIV-positive.
Among them, 109 (98.20%) were infected by HIV-1 and 2 (1.98%) by HIV-2.
Antibodies against T. gondii were
detected in 5.36% (IgM), 25% (IgG) and 3.57% (both IgM and IgG) of HIV 56 infected
women. There was no significant difference between CD4 cell count in HIV (+)/T. gondii IgM (-)/IgG (-) infected pregnant women (378.8 ± 222.8 cell//μl) compared
to HIV (+)/T. gondii/IgM (+) (457.3 ± 183.3 cell//μl), HIV (+)/T. gondii IgG (+) (419.4 ± 287.3 cell//μl) and HIV
(+)/T. gondii IgM/IgG (+) (480.5 ± 252.4 cell/μl). Conclusion: This
study showed that intracellular parasite T.
gondii did not alter CD4+ T lymphocytes count in HIV/T. gondii co-infected pregnant women.