AUTHOR=Goldberg-Murow Monica , Cedillo-Peláez Carlos , Concha-del-Río Luz Elena , Cheja-Kalb Rashel , Salgar-Henao María José , Orozco-Velasco Eduardo , Luna-Pastén Héctor , Gómez-Chávez Fernando , Ibarra Antonio , Correa Dolores TITLE=Autoantibodies Against Ubiquitous and Confined Antigens in Patients With Ocular, Neuro-Ophthalmic and Congenital Cerebral Toxoplasmosis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.606963 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2021.606963 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Toxoplasma gondii infection can trigger autoreactivity by different mechanisms. In the case of ocular toxoplasmosis, disruption of the blood-retinal barrier may cause exposure of confined retinal antigens such as recoverin. Besides, cross-reactivity can be induced by molecular mimicry of parasite antigens like HSP70, which shares 76% identity with the human ortholog. Autoreactivity can be a determining factor of clinical manifestations in the eye and in the central nervous system. We performed a prospective observational study to determine the presence of autoantibodies against recoverin and HSP70 by indirect ELISA in the serum of 65 patients with ocular, neuro-ophthalmic and congenital cerebral toxoplasmosis. We found systemic autoantibodies against recoverin and HSP70 in 33.8% and 15.6% of individuals, respectively. The presence of autoantibodies in cases of OT may be related to the severity of clinical manifestations, while in cases with CNS involvement they may have a protective role. Unexpectedly, anti-recoverin antibodies were found in patients with cerebral involvement, without ocular toxoplasmosis; therefore, we analyzed and proved cross-reactivity between recoverin and a brain antigen, hippocalcin, so the immunological phenomenon occurring in one immune-privileged organ (e.g. the central nervous system) could affect the environment of another (egg. the eye).