[Use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis].

The aim of the study was to assess the value of PCR method in laboratory diagnosis of T. gondii infections. The study was based on the identification of a fragment of B1 gene of Toxoplasma gondii 461 base pairs in length in 124 samples of blood, CSF, amniotic fluid and aqueous fluid obtained form humans and experimentally infected animals. Positive PCR results were found with CSF samples and blood sample from men. Moreover, the results were positive with blood samples from mice and rabbits bled on 5, 6, 11 and 12 days after infection. The obtained results showed that PCR is very useful in the laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, especially in cases suspected of cerebral toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that neurotoxoplasmosis occurs in Poland, more frequently that it is realized at present, however, the cases are not recognized because toxoplasmosis is not taken into account in differential diagnosis. Because of short and irregular parasitaemia, PCR is of limited value in the diagnosis of blood samples.