Toxoplasma gondii isolated from a Brazilian patient with rare pulmonary toxoplasmosis has a novel genotype and is closely related to Amazonian isolates

Pulmonary toxoplasmosis is rare in immunocompetent patients. Herein, a Toxoplasma gondii strain isolated in Brazil from an immunocompetent patient who had severe pulmonary involvement was biologically and molecularly characterized for the first time. The TgHumIMTBr1 isolate was bioassayed in mice showing a virulent phenotype. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotyping using 11 markers [SAG1, SAG2 (5 ' 3 ' SAG2 and alt. SAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, Apico and CS3] revealed a new non-archetypal genotype assigned as #312. Genotyping using ROP18/ROP5 markers exhibited the virulent combination of alleles 4 and 1. Microsatellite analysis using 15 markers (TUB2, W35, TgM-A, B18, B17, M33, IV.1, X1.1, N60, N82, AA, N61, N83, M48 and M102) revealed an atypical genotype with three unique alleles and a rare combination of alleles 246 (W35) and 203 (TgM-A) that is typical of the Amazon region. Non-archetypal genotypes with unique alleles may function in the occurrence of severe toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients in Brazil. Attempts to isolate or molecularly detect T. gondii for further genotyping studies would contribute to the understanding of causes related to the severity of toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients.

Automated summary

A Toxoplasma gondii strain isolated from an immunocompetent patient in Brazil was characterized biologically and molecularly, showing a virulent phenotype and a non-archetypal genotype. The unique genotype may contribute to severe toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients in Brazil.