DETECTION OF TOXOPLASMA-GONDII BY COMPETITIVE DNA AMPLIFICATION OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE SAMPLES

The prevalence of pulmonary toxoplasmosis was assessed by a prospectiv e analysis of 144 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples using competiti ve polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to avoid false-negative results due to PCR techniques. Six samples were excluded because they contained a mplification reaction inhibitors. None of the samples from the 37 immu nocompetent patients and only 1 sample (1.7%) from the 59 immunocompro mised patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection were PCR -positive. In contrast, Toxoplasma gondii DNA was found in 6 (14%) of 42 samples from patients with AIDS. All 6 patients had less-than-or-eq ual-to 40 CD4 cells/muL and anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, and 5 had othe r sites of Toxoplasma infection. Six other AIDS patients who had recei ved treatment for cerebral toxoplasmosis were PCR-negative. Thus, pulm onary toxoplasmosis is frequent in AIDS patients who have other sites of Toxoplasma infection and low CD4 lymphocyte counts and who are not receiving prophylaxis.