Restriction fragment length polymorphism-based genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii from autopsy-proven cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated cerebral toxoplasmosis

• Published in: Annals of the Indian Academy of Neurology Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 250 - 255
• Main Authors: Vijaykumar, B, Kant, R, Rajendran, C, Lekshmi, Swathi, Keerthana, Sundar, Mahadevan, Anita, Shankar, S, Jayshree, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.10.2018; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Antigens; Autopsy; Brain research; Cerebral toxoplasmosis; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Gene amplification; Gene loci; Gene polymorphism; Genetic diversity; Genomes; Genotype & phenotype; Genotyping; HIV; HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome patients; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immunodeficiency; Infections; Medical research; multilocus polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping; Original; Parasites; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymorphism; Population genetics; Protozoa; Recombinants; Restriction fragment length polymorphism; Rodents; Studies; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; United States > US; North America; Europe; China; India; Toxoplasma gondii; Cerebral toxoplasmosis; HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome patients; multilocus polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping
• ISSN: 0972-2327; 1998-3549
• DOI: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_358_17

Context: Published data on genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) from clinical cases of toxoplasmosis from India is lacking. Aims: The present study was aimed at identifying genetic types of T. gondii in fatal cases of cerebral toxoplasmosis (CT) associated with HIV, from India. Settings and Design: Archived tissues of CT were obtained postmortem from 25 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients between 2000 and 2014. Subjects and Methods: Direct amplification of eight different loci, namely, SAG1, 5'-3'SAG2, Alt. SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, C22-8, and L358 followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to genotype the parasite. Results: The canonical Types I, II, or III were not found in our study. More than 96% of the cases harbored atypical genotypes-likely recombinants of the canonical types; one case closely corresponded to Type II genotype. Conclusions: Thus, a majority of T. gondii causing CT in South India belonged to a noncanonical lineage. These nonarchetypal genotypes differed from the conventional Types I, II, and III and caused devastating severity in patients with CT in the background of HIV. These results are a step further to deciphering the population genetics of this important zoonotic parasitic infection in Indian patients, information that has thus far been lacking.