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Cellular immune reactions directed against Toxoplasma gondii with special emphasis on the central nervous system
1Institut für Med. Mikrobiologie und Virologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. daeubene@mail.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Abstract:
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite which, after primary infection of humans, is maintained in a dormant state by the host cellular immune system. In the event of an acquired immunosuppression, those parasites surviving as dormant cysts in the host may undergo a change in status, proliferate and cause a life-threatening toxoplasmic encephalitis. Over the last decade much knowledge has accumulated concerning the immune response against T. gondii. This review focuses attention particularly on the anti-parasitic effector mechanisms and the cellular immune reactions in the central nervous system during the course of reactivated toxoplasmic encephalitis.