Toxoplasmosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C and patients with fatty liver

Toxoplasma gondii can affect the human liver and cause pathological changes such as hepatomegaly, granuloma, hepatitis, necrosis and liver cirrhosis may result to chronic liver disease.

The aim in this study was to determine the rate of toxoplasmosis infection in chronic liver disease patients with HCV positive disease and in fatty liver patients.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 150 samples prepared from three groups, including individuals with hepatitis C, persons with grade 2 and higher fatty liver disease, and patients without liver complications as a control group during 1397 and 1398. Serum and whole blood were taken from each subject for ELISA and PCR study. Toxoplasma IgG kit was used for ELISA test and two pairs of specific primers were used to amplify T.gondii GRA6 gene in Nested-PCR.

Out of 50 controls, only 3 (6%) showed positive chronic toxoplasmosis. Of 50 patients with HCV +, 21 (42%) and of 50 patients with fatty liver disease showed 17 (34%) infection with chronic toxoplasmosis. This difference in infection ratio was statistically significant (P <0.01). No positive sample was observed in the Nested-PCR test for detecting T.gondii.

The results of this study indicate an association between chronic toxoplasmosis and patients with hepatitis C and fatty liver. Therefore, toxoplasmosis could be assumed as a predisposing factor for the survival of chronic liver disease.