Potential Association Between Latent Infection and Suicide Attempts: A Case-Control Registry-Based Study.

is a ubiquitous parasitic protozoan that may be an important cause of neurological and psychiatric diseases. The purpose of this case-control registry-based study was to evaluate the prevalence of infection and related risk factors among subjects who attempted suicide by drug use and a control group at the Iranian National Registry Center for Toxoplasmosis in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. Baseline data were collected from participants using a questionnaire, and a blood sample was taken from each individual. The plasma was prepared for serological analysis, whereas the buffy coat was used for molecular analysis. Out of 282 individuals (147 cases with suicide attempters [SA] and 135 controls), 42.9% of patients and 16.3% of control subjects were positive for anti- immunoglobin G (IgG), but all participants were negative for DNA and anti- immunoglobin M. Based on multiple logistic regressions, IgG seropositivity in SA in the age group of 20-30 years was 3.22 times higher than that in the control group ( < 0.001). These findings suggest that latent infection among SA is significantly higher than that in healthy individuals, indicating a potential association between latent toxoplasmosis and SA at least in the studied area. Further research is needed to shed light on the potential association between and suicide among different populations and areas of the world.