April 2014
Volume 55, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   April 2014
Low prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in Mbya aborigines from Misiones, Argentina
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Marcelo Nicolas Rudzinski
    GETOZCEM, Obera, Argentina
    Uveitis, Rudzinski Oftalmologia, Obera, Argentina
  • Alejandro Meyer
    GETOZCEM, Obera, Argentina
  • Cristobal A Couto
    GETOZCEM, Obera, Argentina
    Ophthalmology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Liliana Carral
    Hospital Aleman, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships Marcelo Rudzinski, None; Alejandro Meyer, None; Cristobal Couto, None; Liliana Carral, None
  • Footnotes
    Support None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2014, Vol.55, 5285. doi:
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      Marcelo Nicolas Rudzinski, Alejandro Meyer, Cristobal A Couto, Liliana Carral, Toxoplasmosis; Low prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in Mbya aborigines from Misiones, Argentina. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2014;55(13):5285.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies of prevalence of ocular lesions secondary to toxoplasma gondii infection revealed that 20% of patients patients attending ophthalmic offices at the center east region of Misiones have toxoplasmic retinal scars. Most of the patients with toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (63%) have German or Eastern European ancestry. A small mbya aborigine community of 150 people called Tamandua is located in the above mentioned region. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroidal lesions in Mbya aborigines from the center region of Misiones, Argentina

Methods: With the consent of the cacique (community leader) and each patient, a complete eye examination including, visual acuity, autorefractometry, anterior biomicroscopy, and indirect ophthalmoscopy were performed in aborigines with decrease visual acuity. Antibodies against toxoplasma gondii were screen by indirect hemaglutination and results were later confirmed by the Sabin Feldman dye test.

Results: From all aborigines that underwent ophthalmic examination only two presented retinochoroidal scars compatible with toxoplasma gondii retinochoroidal infection (n=52). One of them had active intraocular inflammation at the moment of examination. Sixty seven percent of the examined aborigines tested positive for toxoplasma gondii antibodies when samples were tested by Sabin Feldman .

Conclusions: We detect a difference in the prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroidal lesions between the Caucasian versus the Mbya populations on the center-east region of Misiones. There are some possible explanations that can describe the low prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroidal lesions in mbya aborigenes: First, Mbya aborigines and their ancestors have been in contact with the local toxoplasma parasite strains for more than 1000 years while European immigrants not. Second, there are no cats in the majority of Mbya communities, hence it is possible that mbyas got in contact with low amounts of tissue cysts, and much less frequently with oocysts.More studies are needed to determine the causes in the difference in toxoplasmic retinochoroidal prevalence between both populations

Keywords: 734 toxoplasmosis • 704 retinochoroiditis • 746 uveitis-clinical/animal model  
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