Document 0111
 DOCN  M9650111
 TI    Limited value of cerebrospinal fluid for direct detection of Toxoplasma
       gondii in toxoplasmic encephalitis associated with AIDS.
 DT    9605
 AU    Eggers C; Gross U; Klinker H; Schalke B; Stellbrink HJ; Kunze K;
       Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Hamburg, Germany.
 SO    J Neurol. 1995 Oct;242(10):644-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96122571
 AB    The diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated
       toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE), a typically focal disease resulting from
       reactivation of tissue cysts, relies mainly on indirect diagnostic
       methods. In a prospective study, we investigated the value of detection
       of Toxoplasma gondii in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by using the
       polymerase chain reaction and the mouse inoculation test. Twenty-four
       patients with 26 episodes of TE, 2 HIV-infected patients with primary
       acute Toxoplasma infection, and 38 HIV-infected control patients with
       latent Toxoplasma infection were investigated. Detection of T. gondii in
       CSF by both methods was possible in only 3 of the TE patients (11.5%),
       the remaining patients being negative with either of the methods. In
       contrast, T. gondii DNA was detected in both of the acutely infected
       patients, indicating that in primary acute toxoplasmosis parasites may
       easily be found in the CSF, whereas in the majority of TE cases in
       immunocompromised patients, T. gondii parasites do not gain access to
       the CSF drawn by lumbar puncture.
 DE    Adult  Aged  Animal  AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/CEREBROSPINAL
       FLUID/  COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS/THERAPY  Base Sequence  Case-Control
       Studies  Encephalitis/CEREBROSPINAL FLUID/*DIAGNOSIS/ETIOLOGY/THERAPY
       Female  Human  Male  Middle Age  Molecular Sequence Data  *Polymerase
       Chain Reaction  Predictive Value of Tests  Prospective Studies  Support,
       Non-U.S. Gov't  Toxoplasma/*ISOLATION & PURIF
       Toxoplasmosis/CEREBROSPINAL FLUID/COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS/  THERAPY
       Treatment Outcome  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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