Potential role of toxoplasmosis to change interleukin 12 level in leukemia patients

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic pathogen in which the reactivation of a dormant infection can cause death in immunocompromised patients. The goal of this study is to investigate the possible risk-factor of Toxoplasma infection and its possible correlation with Interleukin-12 (IL-12) cytokine in leukemia patients and according the leukemia types. In this study, 185 patients were enrolled. All serum samples were tested by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for the measurement of antiToxoplasma (IgG, IgM) antibodies and IL-12 levels. The serological examination revealed that 63 (51.2%) leukemia patients were positive to antiToxoplasma IgG compared with the sera of the control group which was 48 (77.4%). Their positivity rates for antiToxoplasma IgM in leukemia patients was 3 (2.4%) while it was 2 (3.23%) in the control group. . The mean level of IL-12 in leukemia patients infected with toxoplasmosis was the significant 188.865 ±2.845 pg/ml,being higher than the mean value in the positive control which was 85.330±2.834pg/ml.Furthermore, the seroprevalence of antiToxoplasma IgG was the highest in the age group (4150) years in patients with leukemia. There were no significant differences between age and leukemia patients infected with toxoplasmosis. Since most immunosuppressive patients are exposed to various possible risk factors including Toxoplasma, primary infection or reactivation, so it is important to diagnose and treat toxoplasmosis in leukemia patients to reduce the consequences of this infection.