Detection of lymphocyte subset during toxoplasmosis in Iraqi diabetic patients through flow cytometry technique

Background: Toxoplasmosis is an infection initiated by the protozoan intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. In individuals with diabetes, the immune system is often weakened, making it difficult to control the growth of this parasite. Aim: The goal of this study was to examine the existence of precise T cells targeting toxoplasmosis in people with diabetes, specifically by detecting CD25 as an indicator of infection, and to compare the results with those from healthy individuals. Methods: This study involved the collection of 120 blood samples from diabetic patients at Imamein Kadhimein Medical City and several private laboratories, as well as 50 blood samples from healthy individuals as a comparison group, from September to December 2016. Diabetes was diagnosed through fasting and random glucose tests, whereas the existence of T. gondii was determined using specific IgM and IgG antibodies for this parasite through the immulite TORCH technique. The CD25 levels were calculated via flow cytometry. Results: All findings were analyzed by Chi-square test and least significant differences (LSD) test, which shown that all cases were negatively tested for Toxo-IgM. Among the diabetic samples, 50 (41.67%) tested positive for Toxo-IgG Abs, whereas 70 (58.33%) were negatively tested for the same antibody. In comparison, all the 50 healthy comparison samples tested negative for IgG. The CD25 results indicated that diabetic patients with toxoplasmosis had the higher mean concentration of this CD 21.03 ± 15.97 pg/ml, showing high significant differences while compared to the other studied groups. Conclusion: Diabetic patients with toxoplasmosis showed the highest CD25 levels, indicating a significant immune response compared with the other groups.