Toxoplasma gondii Could be a Problem in Diagnosis Scope? Current and Previous Diagnosis: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Abstract The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, ubiquitous and intracellular organism, proposed as an important factor in patients with malignancy and immunodeficiency. Parasite infection has two phases in the clinical course. In the acute phase, in healthy people, only some common and mild clinical signs can be seen. However, in the chronic phase, parasite encysts in the brain of human and animal hosts and can reactivate after medical and immunological issues, which could be fatal. This narrative review discusses T. gondii diagnostic methods that performed routinely in medical and research laboratories and institutes. In this study, the main methods of most cited articles that evaluated T. gondii diagnostic methods were included. Traditional diagnosis methods of T.gondii include serology, animal inoculation, and live- parasite based test. Newly developed tests are polymerase chain reaction-based molecular and imaging methods. Some other methods that performed, e.g., antigen detection in body fluids, toxoplasma skin test, and antigen-specific lymphocyte transformation can be implemented according to the phase of the disease and available facilities.

Keywords

• toxoplasma gondii
• diagnosis
• epidemiology