Immunity and Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis
1Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. g.r.wallace@bham.ac.uk
Clinical and Experimental Immunology
|June 14, 2008
Summary
Toxoplasma infection is a leading cause of posterior uveitis globally. This review examines how the immune system controls this parasitic infection, particularly within the eye.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Toxoplasma gondii is a significant global pathogen responsible for a substantial portion of posterior uveitis cases.
- Ocular toxoplasmosis poses a major challenge in ophthalmology due to its prevalence and potential for vision loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the immunological mechanisms controlling Toxoplasma infection.
- To specifically discuss the immune system's role in managing ocular Toxoplasma infections.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing studies on Toxoplasma immunology and ocular manifestations.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on host-pathogen interactions in the context of the eye.
Main Results:
- The immune system employs various strategies to control systemic and ocular Toxoplasma infection.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions.
Conclusions:
- The immune response is critical for managing Toxoplasma infections, especially in preventing ocular disease.
- Further research into immune-mediated control can lead to improved treatments for posterior uveitis.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:18Trichomoniasis
Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, one of the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This extracellular parasite primarily colonizes the lower genitourinary tract in women—particularly the vagina—and in men, the urethra and prostate. Its structural and functional adaptations enable its survival, motility, and pathogenicity within the host environment.Structural Features and Host EntryT.
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...