Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Dec;28(47):67886-67890. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17126-w. Epub 2021 Oct 25.
The present study aimed to evaluate the possible association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and latent Toxoplasma gondii infection in a group of patients and healthy individuals. Blood samples were obtained from 269 PCR-positive COVID-19 patients. The serum was separated and tested for the existence of anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG) using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis between a subgroup of the patients (aged under 55 years old) and COVID-19 negative individuals was compared. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 226/269 (84.0%) patients with COVID-19. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 72/91 (79.1%) cases and 96/123 (78.0%) COVID-19 negative individuals (odd ratio = 1.1; 95% confidence interval: 0.55-2.07, P = 0.85). The median and interquartile range (IQR) of the IgG titer were not statistically significant different between case (97.3 [31.0-133.5]) and control groups (34.4 [13.0-144.5]) (P = 0.10). These findings demonstrated that latent Toxoplasma infection is prevalent amongst the COVID-19 patients. It also did not find any significant association between chronic toxoplasmosis and COVID-19.
本研究旨在评估 2019 年冠状病毒病(COVID-19)与一组患者和健康个体潜伏性弓形体感染之间的可能关联。从 269 名 PCR 阳性 COVID-19 患者中采集血样。分离血清并使用商业酶联免疫吸附测定试剂盒检测抗弓形体抗体(IgG)的存在。比较了患者亚组(年龄<55 岁)与 COVID-19 阴性个体之间潜伏性弓形体病的患病率。在 269 名 COVID-19 患者中,发现 226 名(84.0%)患者存在抗弓形体抗体。在 72/91(79.1%)例和 96/123(78.0%)例 COVID-19 阴性个体中检测到抗弓形体抗体(比值比=1.1;95%置信区间:0.55-2.07,P=0.85)。病例组(97.3 [31.0-133.5])和对照组(34.4 [13.0-144.5])的 IgG 滴度中位数和四分位距(IQR)无统计学差异(P=0.10)。这些发现表明,潜伏性弓形体感染在 COVID-19 患者中普遍存在。也未发现慢性弓形体病与 COVID-19 之间存在任何显著关联。