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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome

Toxoplasma gondii exposure and Parkinson’s disease: a case-control study

October 3, 2017 13 Comments
Alvarado-Esquivel, C., Mendez-Hernandez, E. M., Salas-Pacheco, J. M., Ruano-Calderon, L. A., Hernandez-Tinoco, J., Arias-Carrion, O., Sanchez-Anguiano, L. F., Castellanos-Juarez, F. X., Sandoval-Carrillo, A. A., Liesenfeld, O., Ramos-Nevarez, A.
Bmj Open 2017; 7
Click for abstract
Objectives: To determine the association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and Parkinson's disease and to investigate whether T. gondii seropositivity is associated with the general characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Cases and controls were enrolled in Durango City, Mexico. Participants: 65 patients with Parkinson's disease and 195 age-and gender-matched control subjects without Parkinson's disease. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Serum samples of participants were analysed for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies by commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Prevalence of T. gondii DNA was determined in seropositive subjects using PCR. The association between clinical data and infection was examined by bivariate analysis. Results: Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 6/65 cases (9.2%) and in 21/195 controls (10.8%) (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.32 to 2.18; p=0.81). The frequency of high (>150 IU/mL) antibody levels was similar among cases and controls (p=0.34). None of the anti-T. gondii IgG positive cases and four of the anti-T. gondii IgG positive controls had anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies (p=0.54). The prevalence of T. gondii DNA was comparable in seropositive cases and controls (16.7% and 25%, respectively; p=1.0). Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was associated with a young age onset of disease (p=0.03), high Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale scores (p=0.04) and depression (p=0.02). Seropositivity to T. gondii infection was lower in patients treated with pramipexole than in patients without this treatment (p=0.01). However, none of the associations remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Conclusions: The results do not support an association between T. gondii infection and Parkinson's disease. However, T. gondii infection might have an influence on certain symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Further research to elucidate the role of T. gondii exposure on Parkinson's disease is warranted.

Tagged: acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome, aids, disorders, Dopamine, infection, onset, parasites, patient, seroepidemiology, workers

Mental health

Toxoplasmosis and neuropsychiatric diseases: can serological studies establish a clear relationship?

October 11, 2013 13 Comments
Fabiani, S., Pinto, B., Bruschi, F.
Neurological Sciences 2013; 34: 417-425
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Toxoplasmosis is a widespread infection, with clinical spectrum ranging from a completely asymptomatic infection to multi-organ involvement. After entering the body, the parasite forms tissue cysts and establishes a chronic infection, involving also the central nervous system (CNS). During the last years, a lot of research has focused on the possible link between exposure to T. gondii and development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease (PD). If a firm association between Toxoplasma infection and neuropsychiatric disorders will be established, this would lead to novel strategies for their prevention and treatment. We will review data from serological and neurodevelopment studies relating infection with T. gondii to such neuropsychiatric diseases.

Tagged: acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome, brain, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, frontal-cortex, gondii infection, movement-disorders, parkinson's disease, parkinsonian symptoms, prenatal infection, Risk factor, Schizophrenia, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, serological studies, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

Toxoplasma gondii and male reproduction impairment: A new aspect of toxoplasmosis research

October 10, 2013 28 Comments
Dalimi A, Abdoli A.
Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology 2013; 6.
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Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most important pathogen that has adverse effect on reproductive function. Evidence Acquisition: Recent studies revealed that infection with T. gondii not only affect female reproduction, also cause male reproductive impairment. In clinical studies, high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in sterile men has been reported. In animal models, toxoplasmosis is associated with male reproductive impairment. Moreover, there are some evidences about venereal transmission of T. gondii. Drugs used for treatment of toxoplasmosis may cause adverse effects on male reproductive function. Results: In present article, effect of Toxoplasma infection on male reproductive system of human and animal was reviewed. There are several reports expressing association between Toxoplasmosis and male genital tract impairment in both human and animals. Conclusions: These findings suggest that T. gondii infection can cause temporary impairment on the reproductive parameters of human or animal male as well as impairment of different hormones which may cause insufficient male reproductivity.

Tagged: acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome, congenital toxoplasmosis, human spermatogenesis, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, infection, male rats, male-infertility, murine toxoplasmosis, pyrimethamine, reproductive function, semen, sterility, Toxoplasma gondii

Physical healthReproduction

The importance of Toxoplasma gondii infection in diseases presenting with headaches. Headaches and aseptic meningitis may be manifestations of the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction

October 26, 2009
Prandota J.
International Journal of Neuroscience 2009; 119: 2144-2182.
Click for abstract
Worldwide, approximately 2 billion people are chronically infected with T. gondii with largely unknown consequences. This review presents clinical symptoms, differential diagnosis, triggering factors, treatment, and pathomechanisms responsible for idiopathic intracranial hypertension, pseudotumor cerebri, and aseptic meningitis. Literature cited in this work illustrates that immune state and other biologic mediator imbalances due to various endogenous and exogenous triggering factors may markedly affect latent central nervous system T. gondii infection/inflammation intensity, and cause reactivation of cerebral toxoplasmosis (CT). Irregularities in pro- and anti-inflammatory processes may markedly disturb the host and/or T. gondii defense mechanisms important for immune control of the parasite thereby manifesting as a wide range of neurologic symptoms and signs observed in some patients with migraine, epilepsy, celiac disease, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and other brain disorders. This is consistent with reactivation of CT in mice after treatment with dexamethasone associated with depression of type T(H)1 immune response, and development of CT after administration of etanercept or other bioproducts. It seems that various types of headaches, epilepsy, aseptic meningitis, systemic adverse reactions to drugs or other substances represent the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction due to apoptosis of T. gondii tachyzoites. Also development of some brain tumors, such as ependymoma and glioma may be associated with a chronic course of CT. Thus, all these patients should be tested for T. gondii infection.

Tagged: acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome, bone-marrow-transplantation, brain tumors, celiac-disease, central-nervous-system, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, epilepsy, henoch-schonlein purpura, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, migraine, nf-kappa-b, nitric-oxide synthase, occupational risk-factors, of-the-literature, pre-pubertal children, the jarisch-herxheimer reaction

Physical health

Topics

  • Behavior 105
  • Cognitive functions 64
  • Mental health 439
  • Morphology 6
  • Motor functions 10
  • Personality 36
  • Physical health 134
  • Reproduction 36
  • Reviews 40
  • Sensory functions 3
  • Uncategorized 2

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Recent articles

  • Mortality Patterns of Toxoplasmosis and Its Comorbidities in Tanzania: A 10-Year Retrospective Hospital-Based Survey February 6, 2020
  • The role of latent toxoplasmosis in the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia–the risk factor or an indication of a contact with cat? February 6, 2020
  • The Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis February 6, 2020

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