Assessment of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Biomarkers and Elastography Findings.
12 affiliations
- 1Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt.
- 2Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
- 3Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo 11774, Egypt.
- 4Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Nahda University (NUB), Beni-Suef 19206, Egypt.
- 5Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt.
- 6Department of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754, Egypt.
- 7Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
- 8Department of Pharmaceutical Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
- 9Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Alshaheed Shehata Ahmed Hegazy St., Beni-Suef 62574, Egypt.
- 10Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases (Tropical Medicine Department), Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt.
- 11Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Cairo 11562, Egypt.
- 12Saudi Toxicology Society, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Background
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important cause of progressive liver disease and fibrosis. Toxoplasma gondii infection is highly prevalent worldwide and may influence inflammatory and fibrotic pathways; however, its clinical significance in patients with chronic HCV infection remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies among patients with chronic HCV infection and to evaluate potential differences in liver fibrosis biomarkers and elastography findings according to T. gondii serostatus.Methods
In this case-control study conducted between December 2023 and October 2024 at Beni-Suef University Hospital, Beni-Suef, Egypt, 58 treatment-naive patients with chronic HCV infection, confirmed by documented anti-HCV positivity together with detectable serum HCV RNA, and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were detected using a qualitative rapid immunochromatographic assay (OnSite Toxo IgG/IgM Combo Rapid Test, CTK Biotech, Poway, CA, USA). In HCV patients, liver fibrosis was assessed using transient elastography and circulating fibrosis-related biomarkers, including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and YKL-40, the latter three measured by quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical, biochemical, and fibrosis-related parameters were compared between HCV patients and controls and according to T. gondii serological status.Results
Anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity was detected in 26/58 (44.8%) patients with chronic HCV infection and 8/20 (40.0%) healthy controls, whereas IgM seropositivity was observed in 4/58 (6.9%) and 2/20 (10.0%), respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between patients and controls in either IgG or IgM seropositivity rates. Patients with chronic HCV infection showed significantly higher circulating concentrations of TIMP-1, M-CSF, and YKL-40 than healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Among HCV patients, anti-T. gondii IgG serostatus was not significantly associated with FibroScan-defined fibrosis category, platelet count, AST, GGT, TIMP-1, M-CSF, or YKL-40. Analyses involving IgM-positive patients were considered exploratory because of the small number of IgM-positive participants.Conclusions
Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM seropositivity did not differ significantly between patients with chronic HCV infection and healthy controls. Among HCV patients, serological evidence of previous T. gondii exposure was not significantly associated with transient elastography-defined fibrosis severity or the evaluated circulating fibrosis biomarkers. Because seropositivity reflects exposure rather than active parasitic infection, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of active hepatic toxoplasmosis. Larger multicenter longitudinal studies incorporating molecular confirmation of active T. gondii infection are warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{abdulwehab2026assessment,
title = {{Assessment of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Biomarkers and Elastography Findings.}},
author = {Mona Mohamed Abdulwehab and Enas A El Saftawy and Shaimaa Elattar and Ahmed M Abdel Hamied and Sara O Elgendy and Alshaimaa M M Eid and Asmaa Saleh and Raneem Alzeer and Mohammed Gamal and Ragaey Ahmad Eid and Amal M Mahfoz and Hanaa O Fadl},
journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/tropicalmed11100293},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931477},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Assessment of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Biomarkers and Elastography Findings.
AU - Mona Mohamed Abdulwehab
AU - Enas A El Saftawy
AU - Shaimaa Elattar
AU - Ahmed M Abdel Hamied
AU - Sara O Elgendy
AU - Alshaimaa M M Eid
AU - Asmaa Saleh
AU - Raneem Alzeer
AU - Mohammed Gamal
AU - Ragaey Ahmad Eid
AU - Amal M Mahfoz
AU - Hanaa O Fadl
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Tropical medicine and infectious disease
DO - 10.3390/tropicalmed11100293
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931477
AB - Background Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important cause of progressive liver disease and fibrosis. Toxoplasma gondii infection is highly prevalent worldwide and may influence inflammatory and fibrotic pathways; however, its clinical significance in patients with chronic HCV infection remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies among patients with chronic HCV infection and to evaluate potential differences in liver fibrosis biomarkers and elastography findings according to T. gondii serostatus.Methods In this case-control study conducted between December 2023 and October 2024 at Beni-Suef University Hospital, Beni-Suef, Egypt, 58 treatment-naive patients with chronic HCV infection, confirmed by documented anti-HCV positivity together with detectable serum HCV RNA, and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were detected using a qualitative rapid immunochromatographic assay (OnSite Toxo IgG/IgM Combo Rapid Test, CTK Biotech, Poway, CA, USA). In HCV patients, liver fibrosis was assessed using transient elastography and circulating fibrosis-related biomarkers, including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and YKL-40, the latter three measured by quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical, biochemical, and fibrosis-related parameters were compared between HCV patients and controls and according to T. gondii serological status.Results Anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity was detected in 26/58 (44.8%) patients with chronic HCV infection and 8/20 (40.0%) healthy controls, whereas IgM seropositivity was observed in 4/58 (6.9%) and 2/20 (10.0%), respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between patients and controls in either IgG or IgM seropositivity rates. Patients with chronic HCV infection showed significantly higher circulating concentrations of TIMP-1, M-CSF, and YKL-40 than healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Among HCV patients, anti-T. gondii IgG serostatus was not significantly associated with FibroScan-defined fibrosis category, platelet count, AST, GGT, TIMP-1, M-CSF, or YKL-40. Analyses involving IgM-positive patients were considered exploratory because of the small number of IgM-positive participants.Conclusions Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM seropositivity did not differ significantly between patients with chronic HCV infection and healthy controls. Among HCV patients, serological evidence of previous T. gondii exposure was not significantly associated with transient elastography-defined fibrosis severity or the evaluated circulating fibrosis biomarkers. Because seropositivity reflects exposure rather than active parasitic infection, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of active hepatic toxoplasmosis. Larger multicenter longitudinal studies incorporating molecular confirmation of active T. gondii infection are warranted.
SN - 2414-6366
ER -