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Acute toxoplasma myositis: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study

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Summary

The occurrence is reported of acute myositis in a man with meningoencephalitis due to toxoplasmosis. The ultrastructure and immunohistochemistry of a muscle biopsy of the patient were investigated. Toxoplasma organisms were not found in the muscle biopsy. The perivascular inflammatory cells in the muscle were mainly CD4+ T cells and the inflammatory cells in and around the muscle fibres were chiefly macrophages. Expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and II antigens was observed in the infiltrating cells and endothelial cells of the blood vessels. A small proportion of the infiltrating cells expressed interferon-γ. A possible role of the immune mechanism in the evolution of myositis is discussed.

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Matsubara, S., Takamori, M., Adachi, H. et al. Acute toxoplasma myositis: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study. Acta Neuropathol 81, 223–227 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334513

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