CYTOLOGIC IDENTIFICATION OF TOXOPLASMA-GONDII IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID OF EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED CATS

Objective-To determine whether it was possible to retrieve organisms, by means of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), from cats inoculated with To xoplasma gondii.Design-Experimental study. Animals-27 cats. Sixteen of the 27 were experimentally infected with feline immunodeficiency viru s. Procedure-All cats were inoculated with T gondii tachyzoites. Cats were grouped on the basis of feline immunodeficiency virus status and route (IV or intra-arterial and number of tachyzoites administered. Br onchoalveolar ravage was performed by means of a standard technique, L avage fluid was evaluated cytologically for tachyzoites. Results-Clini cal signs of toxoplasmosis varied widely among individual cats, but we re generally most pronounced in group-1 and -2 cats (n = 5 each) and l ess pronounced in group-3 (n = 5) cats. Group-4 and -5 cats (n = 6 eac h) did not have clinical signs of toxoplasmosis. In 14 of the 15 cats in groups 1, 2, and 3, tachyzoites were detected in BAL fluid collecte d 7 days after inoculation. Tachyzoites were detected 14 days after in oculation in the single cat without tachyzoites 7 days after inoculati on. A necropsy was performed on 9 of these cats, and tachyzoites were identified histologically in 4 of the 9, Tachyzoites were not detected in BAL fluid collected 3 days (n = 6) or 7 days in = 6) after inocula tion from the 12 cats in groups 4 and 5. Tachyzoites were not identifi ed histologically in any of these 12 cats. Clinical Implications-BAL m ay be useful in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, particularly in cats w ith signs of pulmonary involvement.