[Toxoplasmosis transmission by blood transfusion? (author's transl)]

T-cells of the chicken tumour HPRS-1, mouse mastocytoma cells, Friend virus-transformed erythroleukaemia cells as well as normal human, mouse and chick erythrocytes were tested for their receptivity to toxoplasma infection. The studies indicate that T-cells and mastocytoma cells, which may be counted as part of the white blood cell series, have the highest invasion rate after incubation with toxoplasma. Friend-erythroleukaemia cells were less often affected; mature human, mouse and chick erythrocytes were refractory. The results suggest that cells of the white blood cell series are receptive to toxoplasma infection but that nucleated precursors of the red series may also be so, while mature erythrocytes cannot be infected. The possibility of transmission of toxoplasmosis by blood transfusion can no longer be doubted.