Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among Cancer and Hemodialysis Patients in southwest Iran

Background: Due to their poor immune system, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and hemodialysis patients are more at risk for toxoplasmosis and its complications than the healthy people. The current study aimed to determine prevalence of toxoplasmosis in these patients and comparing it with healthy subjects in southwest Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on sera and buffy coat of 100 cancer patients, 47 hemodialysis patients, and 170 healthy subjects. IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum were measured by ELISA method. Molecular diagnosis was conducted by PCR method on buffy coat of the seropositive samples. Results: The seroprevalence of T. gondii in cancer, hemodialysis patients and healthy subjects were 13%, 27.7% and 15.9% respectively. Moreover, seropositivity for IgM antibody was 2.1% in hemodialysis, 2% in cancer patients and 0.6% in healthy individuals. Our results were showed there was no significant difference between prevalence toxoplasmosis in case and control group. In molecular survey, only one case (cancer patient) was positive for Toxoplasma DNA. Contact with cats and consumption of undercooked meat were two studied risk factors which had significant associations with T. gondii seropositivity in the hemodialysis patients (odds ratio [OR] = 14.667; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.453-148.045) and control (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.093-8.639) respectively. Conclusion: Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in hemodialysis patients was higher than Healthy Individuals; however, the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in cancer patients was similar to the Healthy Individuals.