Investigation of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in the Hemodialysis Patients with ELISA Method

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in hemodialysis (HD) patients and to reveal the importance of toxoplasmosis as a risk factor in these patients. Methods: The study was carried out between 26.12.2013 and 01.01.2016 at Van Yüzüncü University Dursun Odabaş the Medical Center on patients with chronic renal failure who entered HD. As the patient group in the study, 150 patients with chronic renal failure who underwent HD; as the control group, 50 people without any known chronic disease and who did not receive any immunosuppressive therapy were included. The ELISA method was used to determine anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibody levels. A questionnaire including risk factors that may cause the transmission of T. gondii was applied to the patient and control groups. Results: In the study, 89 out of total 150 HD patients (59.3%) were found anti-T. gondii IgG antibody seropositive and 4 were (2.7%) anti-T. gondii IgM antibody seropositive. Fourteen of 50 healthy individuals in the group (28%) were anti-T. gondii IgG antibody positive, while none in this group was anti-T. gondii IgM antibody positive. Statistical analysis demonstrated there were separate significant correlations between both anti-T. gondii IgG (p