SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMOSIS INHIV/AIDS PATIENTS AT TERTIARY CARE CENTER BIKANER, RAJASTHAN

Abstract

Background: The National AIDS Control Programme of India does not recommend screening for toxoplasmosis among asymptomatic people living with HIV. With reference to current situation analysis and limited number of studies related to toxoplasmosis in people living with HIV, the present study was undertaken on to study the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in people living with HIV.

Methods: This was cross-sectional study conducted on 196 HIV positive patients over a 1year period.Specific anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were analyzed using ELISA by Toxo-IgG kit. Patient sample with cut-off value (antibody titer) ? 50 IU/ml was considered positive.

Results: The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in HIV positive patients was 10.71% .Mean CD4 count in toxoplasmosis positive cases was 40.90±19.30 cells/mm3 while mean CD4 count in toxoplasmosis negative cases was 65.73±22.19 cells/mm3 and the difference between two groups was found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion: We concluded that there is high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients with CD4 counts <100 cells/mm3  without a history of toxoplasmosis disease in our region  and it is even higher in those who have CD4 count  <50 cells/mm3 .

Keywords: CD4, HIV, Seoprevalence