Toxoplasma Infection in Schizophrenia Patients: a Comparative Study with Control Group

Overview

Journal Iran J Parasitol

Publisher Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Specialty Parasitology

Date 2012 Feb 21

PMID 22347285

Citations 26

Authors

A Alipour

S Shojaee

M Mohebali

M Tehranidoost

F Abdi Masoleh

H Keshavarz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic, and often debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder. Its causes are still poorly understood. Besides genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors are thought to be important as the cause of the structural and functional deficits that characterize schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare Toxoplasma gondii infection between schizophrenia patients and non-schizophrenia individuals as control group.

Methods: A case-control study was designed in Tehran, Iran during 2009-2010. Sixty-two patients with schizophrenia and 62 non-schizophrenia volunteers were selected. To ascertain a possible relationship between T. gondii infection and schizophrenia, anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were detected by indirect-ELISA. Data were statistically analyzed by chi- square at a confidence level of 99%.

Results: The sero-positivity rate among patients with schizophrenia (67.7%) was significantly higher than control group (37.1) (P <0. 01).

Conclusion: A significant correlation between Toxoplasma infection and schizophrenia might be expected.

Citing Articles

Schizophrenia Etiological Factors and Their Correlation with the Imbalance of the Immune System: An Update.

Lotfi N, Rezaei N, Rastgoo E, Khodadoustan Shahraki B, Zahedi G, Jafarinia M Galen Med J. 2024; 12:e3109.

PMID: 39553412 PMC: 11568428. DOI: 10.31661/gmj.v12i.3109.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG seroprevalence in the general population in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2000-2023.

Hamidi F, Rostami A, Hosseini S, Calero-Bernal R, Hajavi J, Ahmadi R PLoS One. 2024; 19(8):e0307941.

PMID: 39208344 PMC: 11361691. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307941.

Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of in Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Cross Sectional Study.

Grada S, Mihu A, Oatis D, Marc C, Chicea L, Petrescu C Biomedicines. 2024; 12(5).

PMID: 38790960 PMC: 11117935. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12050998.

Systematic Review on the Relationship between Toxoplasmosis and Mental Disorders.

Bartolome Del Pino L, Zanon-Moreno V Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2024; 52(2):149-160.

PMID: 38622004 PMC: 11015818. DOI: 10.62641/aep.v52i2.1658.

Associations between Infection and Multiple Sclerosis: A Case-Control Seroprevalence Study.

Shahra M, Keshavarz H, Sahraeian M, Shojaee S, Heidari A, Alimi R Iran J Parasitol. 2023; 18(2):165-171.

PMID: 37583639 PMC: 10423903. DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v18i2.13182.

References

Powell H, Gibbs Jr C, Lorenzo A, LAMPERT P, Gajdusek D . Toxoplasmosis of the central nervous system in the adult. Electron microscopic observations. Acta Neuropathol. 1978; 41(3):211-6. DOI: 10.1007/BF00690438. View

Flegr J, Kodym P, Tolarova V . Correlation of duration of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection with personality changes in women. Biol Psychol. 2000; 53(1):57-68. DOI: 10.1016/s0301-0511(00)00034-x. View

Torrey E, Bartko J, Lun Z, Yolken R . Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in patients with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull. 2006; 33(3):729-36. PMC: 2526143. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbl050. View

Torrey E . Are we overestimating the genetic contribution to schizophrenia?. Schizophr Bull. 1992; 18(2):159-70. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/18.2.159. View

Wang H, Wang G, Li Q, Shu C, Jiang M, Guo Y . Prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in first-episode schizophrenia and comparison between Toxoplasma-seropositive and Toxoplasma-seronegative schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2006; 114(1):40-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00780.x. View

Havlicek J, Gasova Z, Smith A, Zvara K, Flegr J . Decrease of psychomotor performance in subjects with latent 'asymptomatic' toxoplasmosis. Parasitology. 2001; 122(Pt 5):515-20. DOI: 10.1017/s0031182001007624. View

Jones-Brando L, Torrey E, Yolken R . Drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder inhibit the replication of Toxoplasma gondii. Schizophr Res. 2003; 62(3):237-44. DOI: 10.1016/s0920-9964(02)00357-2. View

Cetinkaya Z, Yazar S, Gecici O, Namli M . Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in patients with schizophrenia--preliminary findings in a Turkish sample. Schizophr Bull. 2007; 33(3):789-91. PMC: 2526136. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbm021. View

Torrey E, Rawlings R, Yolken R . The antecedents of psychoses: a case-control study of selected risk factors. Schizophr Res. 2000; 46(1):17-23. DOI: 10.1016/s0920-9964(99)00237-6. View

10.

Brown A, Schaefer C, Quesenberry Jr C, Liu L, Babulas V, Susser E . Maternal exposure to toxoplasmosis and risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring. Am J Psychiatry. 2005; 162(4):767-73. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.767. View

11.

BERTOLI F, Espino M, Arosemena 5th J, Fishback J, FRENKEL J . A spectrum in the pathology of toxoplasmosis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1995; 119(3):214-24. View

12.

Cotter D, Pariante C, Everall I . Glial cell abnormalities in major psychiatric disorders: the evidence and implications. Brain Res Bull. 2001; 55(5):585-95. DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(01)00527-5. View

13.

Leweke F, Gerth C, Koethe D, Klosterkotter J, Ruslanova I, Krivogorsky B . Antibodies to infectious agents in individuals with recent onset schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004; 254(1):4-8. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-004-0481-6. View

14.

Hill K, Mann L, Laws K, Stephenson C, Nimmo-Smith I, McKenna P . Hypofrontality in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of functional imaging studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2004; 110(4):243-56. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00376.x. View

15.

Flegr J, Zitkova S, Kodym P, Frynta D . Induction of changes in human behaviour by the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitology. 1996; 113 ( Pt 1):49-54. DOI: 10.1017/s0031182000066269. View

16.

Torrey E, Yolken R . Could schizophrenia be a viral zoonosis transmitted from house cats?. Schizophr Bull. 1995; 21(2):167-71. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/21.2.167. View

17.

Delgado Garcia G, Garcia Landa J . [Reactivity of the intradermal test with toxoplasmosis in schizophrenic patients]. Rev Cubana Med Trop. 1979; 31(3):225-31. View

18.

Ghatak N, Zimmerman H . Fine structure of Toxoplasma in the human brain. Arch Pathol. 1973; 95(4):276-83. View

19.

Sims T, Hay J . Host-parasite relationship between congenital Toxoplasma infection and mouse brain: role of small vessels. Parasitology. 1995; 110 ( Pt 2):123-7. DOI: 10.1017/s0031182000063873. View

20.

Holliman R . Toxoplasmosis, behaviour and personality. J Infect. 1997; 35(2):105-10. DOI: 10.1016/s0163-4453(97)91380-3. View