Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad s/n, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
Parasit Vectors. 2012 Jan 11;5:13. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-13.
Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with reflex impairment and traffic accidents. It is unknown whether Toxoplasma infection might be associated with work accidents. Therefore, using a case-control seroprevalence study design, 133 patients with a recent work accident and 266 control subjects of the general population from the same region were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence and levels of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, work, clinical and behavioral characteristics from each worker were obtained.
Eleven (8.3%) of 133 patients, and 14 (5.3%) of 266 controls had anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. Anti-T. gondii IgG levels were higher than 150 IU/ml in 8 (6%) patients and 10 (3.8%) controls. Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in one (0.8%) of the workers, and in 6 (2.3%) of the controls. No statistically significant differences in the IgG seroprevalences, frequencies of high IgG levels, and IgM seroprevalences among patients and controls were found. In contrast, a low socio-economic level in patients with work accidents was associated with Toxoplasma seropositivity (P = 0.01). Patients with work accidents and low socioeconomic status showed a significantly (OR = 3.38; 95% CI: 0.84-16.06; P = 0.04) higher seroprevalence of T. gondii infection than controls of the same socioeconomic status (15.1% vs. 5%, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed a positive association of T. gondii infection with boar meat consumption (OR = 3.04; 95% CI: 1.03-8.94; P = 0.04). In contrast, a negative association between T. gondii infection and national trips (OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17-0.96; P = 0.04), sausage consumption (OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.05-0.68; P = 0.01), and ham consumption (OR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05-0.51; P = 0.002) was found.
In the study described here seropositivity to T. gondii was associated to work accidents in a subset of patients with low socioeconomic status. This is the first report of an association of T. gondii infection and work accidents. Further studies to confirm our results are needed. Results may help in designing optimal prevention strategies to avoid T. gondii infection.
刚地弓形虫与反射障碍和交通事故有关。目前尚不清楚弓形虫感染是否与工作事故有关。因此，我们采用病例对照血清流行率研究设计，对来自同一地区的 133 名近期发生工作事故的患者和 266 名普通人群对照者进行酶联免疫吸附试验，以检测抗弓形虫 IgG 抗体和抗弓形虫 IgM 抗体的存在和水平。从每位工人那里获得社会人口统计学、工作、临床和行为特征。
133 名患者中有 11 名（8.3%），266 名对照者中有 14 名（5.3%）有抗弓形虫 IgG 抗体。8 名（6%）患者和 10 名（3.8%）对照者的抗弓形虫 IgG 水平高于 150IU/ml。在 1 名（0.8%）工人和 6 名（2.3%）对照者中发现了抗弓形虫 IgM 抗体。患者和对照组之间 IgG 血清阳性率、高 IgG 水平频率和 IgM 血清阳性率均无统计学显著差异。相比之下，工作事故患者的社会经济水平较低与弓形虫血清阳性相关（P=0.01）。与具有相同社会经济地位的对照组相比，工作事故和社会经济地位较低的患者弓形虫感染的血清阳性率显著升高（分别为 3.38；95%CI：0.84-16.06；P=0.04）。多变量分析显示，弓形虫感染与食用公猪肉呈正相关（OR=3.04；95%CI：1.03-8.94；P=0.04）。相反，弓形虫感染与国内旅行呈负相关（OR=0.40；95%CI：0.17-0.96；P=0.04）、食用香肠（OR=0.20；95%CI：0.05-0.68；P=0.01）和食用火腿（OR=0.16；95%CI：0.05-0.51；P=0.002）。
在本研究中，低社会经济地位的患者中，弓形虫血清阳性与工作事故相关。这是首次报道弓形虫感染与工作事故相关。需要进一步的研究来证实我们的结果。结果可能有助于设计最佳的预防策略来避免弓形虫感染。
