Interferon-γ and IL-10 Release Assay for Patients with Ocular Toxoplasmosis
Marcelo Rudzinski1,2,3, Lais Pardini3,4, Mariana Bernstein3,4
11Cátedra de Oftalmología, Universidad Católica de las Misiones (UCAMI), Posadas, Argentina.
Insights
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from ocular toxoplasmosis patients showed increased interferon gamma (IFN-γ) when stimulated with Toxoplasma gondii antigens. Local parasite strains induced higher IFN-γ release than the reference strain.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Ocular toxoplasmosis is an inflammatory eye disease caused by *Toxoplasma gondii*.
- Assessing immune responses in patients is crucial for understanding disease pathogenesis and management.
- Cytokine release assays (CRA) are used to measure immune cell activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from ocular toxoplasmosis patients.
- To compare the cytokine release induced by a reference *Toxoplasma gondii* strain versus a local isolate.
- To explore potential clinical correlations with immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from patients with ocular toxoplasmosis during the inactive disease period.
- PBMCs were stimulated with total antigens from *Toxoplasma gondii* lysate (TATL) from both a reference (ME49) and a local (TgCkAr-11-9) strain.
- Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels were measured using a cytokine release assay (CRA).
Main Results:
- PBMC stimulation with either the ME49 strain or the local TgCkAr-11-9 isolate significantly increased IFN-γ levels compared to basal conditions.
- The local TgCkAr-11-9 isolate induced a significantly higher release of IFN-γ than the ME49 reference strain.
- Patients were classified into high or low/non-IFN-γ releasers based on median IFN-γ levels upon stimulation with the local isolate, with clinical correlations observed.
Conclusions:
- Immune cells from ocular toxoplasmosis patients mount a significant IFN-γ response to *Toxoplasma gondii* antigens.
- Local *Toxoplasma gondii* isolates may elicit a stronger immune response than reference strains.
- Including local strains in CRA is essential for accurately assessing immune responses in ocular toxoplasmosis.
Abstract:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with ocular toxoplasmosis were challenged with total antigens from Toxoplasma gondii lysate (TATL) in a cytokine release assay (CRA), run during the inactive period of the disease. Increased interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels were detected after PBMC stimulation with either ME49 reference strain (P = 0.0015) or local TgCkAr-11-9 isolate (P = 0.0012), as compared with those recorded under basal conditions. TATL from TgCkAr11-9 isolate induced a higher release of IFN-γ than ME49 strain in CRA from all tested patients (P = 0.02). The median value of IFN-γ release on TgCkAr-11-9 stimulation (26.03 pg/mL) allowed the classification of patients into high- or low-/non-IFN-γ releasers. Clinical correlations were established with both groups. The results obtained in this study suggest the need to include local strains when performing CRA with TATL.
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