Toxoplasma gondii infection in feline renal transplant recipients: 24 cases (1998-2018).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection in feline renal transplant recipients with a preoperative seronegative or unknown serostatus (SN-UNK) for T gondii and the efficacy of lifelong prophylactic treatment of T gondii infection in feline renal transplant recipients with a preoperative seropositive serostatus (SP) for T gondii.

ANIMALS: 24 cats with various serostatuses for T gondii before undergoing renal transplantation.

PROCEDURES: Medical records of cats that had undergone renal transplantation from 1998 through 2018 were reviewed. Two groups of cats were identified. Before renal transplantation, the SN-UNK group cats were seronegative for T gondii (n = 4) or serostatus for T gondii was unknown (4). The SN-UNK group cats received immunosuppressive therapy but were not maintained on prophylactic treatment of T gondii infection. The SP group cats were seropositive for T gondii (n = 16) prior to initiation of immunosuppressive therapy and renal transplantation and were managed after surgery with prophylactic treatment of T gondii infection.

RESULTS

All 8 SN-UNK group cats developed T gondii infections after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy and renal transplantation; T gondii infections were fatal in 6 cats. Of 16 SP group cats, 1 developed a nonfatal T gondii infection resulting in an allograft rejection episode. No SP group cats, which were managed postoperatively with prophylactic treatment, developed a fatal T gondii infection.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: T gondii infection resulted in morbidity and death in immunosuppressed cats not receiving prophylactic treatment of T gondii infection after renal transplantation. Seropositive cats were acceptable candidates for renal transplantation when lifelong prophylactic treatment of T gondii infection was provided.