[Seroepidemiological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infections in patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infections among patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City.

METHODS

A total of 337 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, 624 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 384 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus living in Hangzhou City during the period from March 2017 through May 2020 were recruited as the study subjects, while age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers and pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus served as controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect serum IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii in patients with diabetes mellitus and controls, and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody was compared between diabetes mellitus patients and controls.

RESULTS

The overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody (18.10% vs. 4.45%, χ² = 31.38, P < 0.01) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (14.54% vs. 2.97%, χ² = 28.28, P < 0.01) were both significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (3.56% vs. 1.48%, χ² = 2.96, P > 0.05). The seroprevalence rates of serum anti-T. gondii (23.56% vs. 6.57%, χ² = 70.37, P < 0.01) and anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (21.15% vs. 5.45%, χ² = 66.73, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (2.40% vs. 1.12%, χ² = 2.96, P > 0.05). In addition, the overall seroprevalence of serum anti-T. gondii antibody (26.30% vs. 19.53%, χ² = 4.98, P < 0.05) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (23.70% vs. 17.71%, χ² = 4.20, P < 0.05) were both significantly higher in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus than in pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (2.60% vs. 1.82%, χ² = 0.54, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with diabetes mellitus present a higher seroprevalence rate of anti-T. gondii antibody than controls in Hangzhou City. Screening of T. gondii infections and health education pertaining to toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge should be reinforced in patients with diabetes mellitus.

[Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara infections among pregnant women in Hangzhou City]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara infections among pregnant women in Hangzhou City, so as to provide baseline data for decreasing birth defects and improving the population quality.

METHODS

A total of 235 pregnant women receiving prenatal diagnosis at the First People's Hospital of Yuhang District during the period between February 2018 through December 2019 were recruited as the observation group, and 235 age-matched, non-pregnant healthy women at the same hospital during the same period served as the control group. The subjects'medical records were captured from the hospital management information system. Blood samples were collected from the observation and control groups and detected for the presence of IgG antibodies against T. gondii and Toxocara using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The seroprevalence of the IgG antibodies against T. gondii and Toxocara was compared between the observation and control groups.

RESULTS

The subjects in the observation group had a mean age of 26.5 ± 4.3 years (range, 23 to 31 years), and gestational ages of 10 to 27 weeks, and the subjects in the control group had a mean age of 26.1 ± 5.7 years (range, 20 to 30 years). The seroprevalence rates of IgG antibodies against T. gondii (28.51% vs. 4.68%; χ² = 34.85, P < 0.01) and Toxocara (24.26% vs. 5.11%; χ² = 25.77, P < 0.01) were both significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group, and the seroprevalence of T. gondii and Toxocara co-infections was also significantly greater in the observation group than in the control group (13.19% vs. 2.13%; χ² = 17.49, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The seroprevalence rates of T. gondii and Toxocara infections and their co-infections are all high among pregnant women in Hangzhou City. Screening of T. gondii and Toxocara infections is strongly recommended during pregnancy.

[Population genetics of invasive Pomacea spp. in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the distribution and identify the genetic genetics of invasive Pomacea species in Xihu District, Hangzhou City, so as to understand the spread tendency of Pomacea species.

METHODS

The specimens of Pomacea species were collected from five sites in water systems (lakes, rivers and wetlands) and its costal lands in Xihu District, Hangzhou City in 2017 for morphological identification. Total DNA was isolated from the foot tissues of adult snails for amplification of the COI gene, and haplotype diversity and nucleic acid diversity analyses were performed. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was created based on the haplotype captured from GenBank and those from this study to investigate the phylogenetic relationships.

RESULTS

Pomacea specimens, which were preliminarily characterized as Pomacea, were found in ponds, rivers and wetlands in Xihu District of Hangzhou City. A total of 16 sequences were captured from the DNA samples of Pomacea specimens, which belonged to 3 haplotypes, including Hap1, Hap2 and Hap3. A high frequency was seen in Hap1 and Hap3, and a low frequency was found in Hap2. The Pomacea specimens collected from the 5 sites in Xihu Districts included P. canaliculata and P. maculate. The Pomacea specimens with a Hap1 had a close genetic relationship with the P. canaliculata from Argentina, Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, and the Pomacea specimens with a Hap2 had a close genetic relationship with the P. canaliculata from Argentina, Japan and Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, China, while the Pomacea specimens with a Hap2 had a close genetic relationship with the P. maculate from Argentina and Brazil.

CONCLUSIONS

P. canaliculata and P. maculata are present in Xihu District of Hangzhou City. P. maculata may spread to Xihu District through multiple introductions or water flow.

[A sero-epidemiological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infections in high-risk populations in Hangzhou City]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the status of Toxoplasma gondii infections and the awareness of toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge among high-risk populations in Hangzhou City.

METHODS

The serum anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 100 HIV/AIDS patients, 100 cancer patients, 100 pregnant women and 100 healthy controls, and the awareness of toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge was investigated using a questionnaire.

RESULTS

The sero-prevalence of T. gondii infection was 31%, 30% and 21% in HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients and pregnant women, which was all significantly higher than in healthy controls (χ² = 14.68, 13.96 and 7.56, all P values < 0.01). The pregnant women had a high awareness rate of toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge, and the healthy controls had a low awareness rate. In addition, the subjects had a low awareness rate regarding the questions including"Do you know the damages of Toxoplasma gondii infections?", "Do you know that consumption of raw or uncooked meat may cause Toxoplasma gondii infections?", and"Do you know that contact with contaminated soil may cause Toxoplasma gondii infections?".

CONCLUSIONS

The sero-prevalence of T. gondii infection is high among the high-risk populations in Hangzhou City, including the HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients and pregnant women, and these high-risk populations have a low awareness rate of some toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge. Therefore, it is essential to improve the health education of toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge among the high-risk populations, so as to effectively prevent and control human T. gondii infections.

[Investigation on Toxoplasma gondii infection in liver disease patients in Hangzhou City]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the Toxoplasma gondii infection in liver disease patients in Hangzhou City.

METHODS

A total of 1 200 patients with liver diseases were enrolled, including 300 patients with liver cancer, 300 cases with hepatitis B, 300 cases with hepatic fibrosis and 300 cases with fatty degeneration of the liver, while 1 200 healthy people served as controls. The serum anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were detected in the subjects using ELISA assay.

RESULTS

The seropositive rates of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were 24.00% (288/1 200) and 1.17% (14/1 200) in the liver disease patients, and 11.42% (137/1 200) and 1.08% (13/1 200) in the healthy controls, respectively. There was a significant difference in the seropositive rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody between the liver disease patients and controls (χ² = 65.19, P < 0.01), and no significant difference was seen in the seropositive rate of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between the liver disease patients and controls (χ² = 0.04, P > 0.05). The seropositive rates of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody were 26.00%, 25.00%, 23.33% and 21.67% in the patients with liver cancer, hepatitis B, hepatic fibrosis and fatty degeneration of the liver, respectively, and no significant difference was detected among these patients with four types of liver diseases (χ² = 1.79, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The seropositive rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody is high in liver disease patients in Hangzhou City, and the management and health education of toxoplasmosis should be given to patients with liver diseases.