School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Acta Trop. 2024 Jul;255:107241. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107241. Epub 2024 May 4.
Toxoplasma gondii is a neurotropic protozoan parasite that affects neuronal processing in the brain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in psychiatric disorder patients. We also investigated the potential association between sociodemographic, clinical manifestation, and behavior of Toxoplasma-seropositive patients with psychiatric disorders. Commercial ELISAs (IgG, IgM, and IgG avidity) using serum and PCR using buffy coat were performed on samples from 54 individuals in each of the following groups: patients diagnosed with depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as psychiatrically healthy subjects (control group). They were recruited from the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kelantan, Malaysia. Of 54 patients with depressive disorder, 24/54 (44.4 %) were seropositive for IgG, and four (16.7 %) were IgG+/IgM+. Among the latter, a high avidity index indicating a past infection was observed in half of the samples (50.0 %), and the other half (50.0 %) showed a low avidity index, indicating a possible recent infection. Meanwhile, 30/54 (55.6 %) patients with bipolar disorder were seropositive for IgG+, five (16.7 %) were IgG+/IgM+, and four of them had a high avidity index, and one had a low avidity index. Patients with schizophrenia showed 29/54 (53.7 %) seropositive for IgG, two of them (6.9 %) were IgG+/IgM+; one of latter had a high avidity index, and one had a low avidity index. Of 54 people in the control group, 37.0 % (20/54) were seropositive for T. gondii IgG antibodies. However, no significant difference was observed in seroprevalence between the control group and each patient group. No PCR-positive results were documented. A Chi-Square and multiple logistic regression showed that age (p = 0.031), close contact with cats/pets (p = 0.033) and contact with soil (p = 0.012) were significantly associated with Toxoplasma seropositivity in patients with psychiatric disorders. Additional research is needed to elucidate the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms.
刚地弓形虫是一种嗜神经性的原生动物寄生虫，会影响大脑中的神经元处理。本研究旨在调查精神障碍患者中弓形虫感染的流行情况。我们还调查了 Toxoplasma-seropositive 患者的社会人口统计学、临床表现和行为与精神障碍之间的潜在关联。使用血清的商业 ELISA（IgG、IgM 和 IgG 亲和力）和使用缓冲液的 PCR 对来自马来西亚吉兰丹大学医院的 54 名以下患者进行了检测：诊断为抑郁症、双相情感障碍和精神分裂症的患者，以及精神健康的受试者（对照组）。54 名抑郁症患者中，24/54（44.4%）IgG 血清学阳性，4/54（16.7%）IgG+/IgM+。在后者中，一半（50.0%）的样本高亲和力指数表明过去感染，另一半（50.0%）显示低亲和力指数，表明可能近期感染。同时，54 名双相情感障碍患者中，30/54（55.6%）IgG 血清学阳性，5/54（16.7%）IgG+/IgM+，其中 4 例高亲和力指数，1 例低亲和力指数。精神分裂症患者中，29/54（53.7%）IgG 血清学阳性，其中 2 例（6.9%）IgG+/IgM+；其中 1 例高亲和力指数，1 例低亲和力指数。对照组 54 人中有 37.0%（20/54）弓形虫 IgG 抗体血清学阳性。然而，对照组与每个患者组之间的血清阳性率没有差异。没有记录到 PCR 阳性结果。卡方检验和多因素逻辑回归显示，年龄（p=0.031）、与猫/宠物密切接触（p=0.033）和与土壤接触（p=0.012）与精神障碍患者的弓形虫血清阳性显著相关。需要进一步的研究来阐明因果关系和潜在机制。
