United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, EPA, MD 58-C, 109. T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA.
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
BMC Infect Dis. 2021 Feb 18;21(1):188. doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-05882-6.
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects cats as definitive hosts and other warm-blooded animals including humans as intermediate hosts. It forms infectious cysts in the brain, muscle and other tissues establishing life-long latent infection. Approximately 10% of the US population is infected. While latent infections are largely asymptomatic, they are associated with neurological deficits and elevated risks of neuropsychiatric diseases.
This cross-sectional epidemiological study investigated associations of T. gondii infections with biomarkers of inflammation and vascular injury: soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum amyloid A (SAA). Serum samples from 694 adults in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area were tested for IgG antibody response to T. gondii, and for the above biomarkers using commercially available assays.
T. gondii seroprevalence rate in this sample was 9.7%. Seropositivity was significantly associated with 11% (95% confidence limits 4, 20%) greater median levels of VCAM-1 (p = 0.003), and marginally significantly with 9% (1, 17%), and 36% (1, 83%) greater median levels of ICAM-1, and CRP, respectively (p = 0.04 for each) after adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates, while the 23% (- 7, 64%) adjusted effect on SAA was not statistically significant (p = 0.15).
Latent infections with T. gondii are associated with elevated biomarkers of chronic inflammation and vascular injury that are also known to be affected by ambient air pollution.
刚地弓形虫是一种原生动物寄生虫，它以猫为终末宿主，以其他热血动物包括人类为中间宿主进行感染。它在大脑、肌肉和其他组织中形成感染性包囊，建立终身潜伏感染。大约 10%的美国人口受到感染。虽然潜伏感染在很大程度上无症状，但它们与神经功能缺损和神经精神疾病风险升高有关。
本横断面流行病学研究调查了刚地弓形虫感染与炎症和血管损伤生物标志物的关联：可溶性细胞间黏附分子 1（ICAM-1）、可溶性血管细胞黏附分子 1（VCAM-1）、C 反应蛋白（CRP）和血清淀粉样蛋白 A（SAA）。北卡罗来纳州罗利-达勒姆-教堂山大都市区的 694 名成年人的血清样本用于检测针对 T. gondii 的 IgG 抗体反应，以及使用商业上可获得的检测方法检测上述生物标志物。
该样本中的刚地弓形虫血清阳性率为 9.7%。血清阳性与 VCAM-1 中位数增加 11%（95%置信区间为 4，20%）显著相关（p=0.003），与 ICAM-1 和 CRP 的中位数分别增加 9%（1，17%）和 36%（1，83%）也有显著相关（p 值分别为 0.04），但调整社会人口统计学和行为因素后，SAA 的 23%（-7，64%）调整效应无统计学意义（p=0.15）。
刚地弓形虫的潜伏感染与慢性炎症和血管损伤的生物标志物升高有关，这些标志物也已知受到环境空气污染的影响。
