diseases

The association between Toxoplasma and the psychosis continuum in a general population setting

September 4, 2018
Lindgren, M., Torniainen-Holm, M., Harkanen, T., Dickerson, F., Yolken, R. H., Suvisaari, J.
Schizophrenia Research 2018; 193: 329-335

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Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with increased risk for psychosis. However, the possible association between T. gondii and psychotic-like symptoms in the general adult population is unknown. We investigated whether T. gondii is associated with psychotic-like symptoms and psychosis diagnoses using data from Health 2000, a large cross-sectional health survey of the Finnish general population aged 30 and above. Seropositivity to toxoplasma was defined as a cutoff of 50 IU/ml of IgG antibodies. Lifetime psychotic-like symptoms were identified with section G of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Munich version (M-CIDI). Symptoms were considered clinically relevant if they caused distress or help-seeking or there were at least three of them. Lifetime psychotic disorders were screened from the sample and were diagnosed with DSM-IV using SCID-I interview and information from medical records. All data were available for 5906 participants. We adjusted for variables related to T. gondii seropositivity (age, gender, education, region of residence, cat ownership, and C-reactive protein measuring inflammation) in regression models. We found that T. gondii seropositivity was significantly associated with clinically relevant psychotic-like symptoms (OR 1.77, p = 0.001) and with the number of psychotic-like symptoms (IRR = 1.55, p = 0.001). The association between toxoplasma and diagnosed psychotic disorders did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.45 for schizophrenia). In a large sample representing the whole Finnish adult population, we found that serological evidence of toxoplasma infection predicted psychotic-like symptoms, independent of demographic factors and levels of C-reactive protein. Toxoplasma infection may be a risk factor for manifestation of psychotic-like symptoms.

Tagged: antibodies, c-reactive protein, diseases, disorders, gondii, high-risk, individuals, infectious agents, metaanalysis, population, psychotic disorder, psychotic-like symptom, Schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

August 31, 2018
Hosseininejad, Z., Sharif, M., Sarvi, S., Amouei, A., Hosseini, S. A., Chegeni, T. N., Anvari, D., Saberi, R., Gohardehi, S., Mizani, A., Sadeghi, M., Daryani, A.
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases 2018; 12

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Background Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan infection caused by an intracellular obligatory protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. Infection to this parasite in immunocompetent patients is usually asymptomatic, but today it is believed that the infection can be a risk factor for a variety of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is an autoimmune disease and the most common type of inflammatory arthritis that is a major cause of disability. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address the association between RA and toxoplasmosis in light of the available research. Methods Based on the keywords, a systematic search of eight databases was conducted to retrieve the relevant English-language articles. Then, the studies were screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The random effect model was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) using forest plot with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Overall, 4168 Individual, extracted from 9 articles were included for systematic review evaluation, with 1369 RA patients (46% positive toxoplasmosis) and 2799 individuals as controls (21% positive toxoplasmosis). Then, eight articles (10 datasets) were used for meta-analysis (1244 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 2799 controls). By random effect model, the combined OR was 3.30 (95% CI: 2.05 to 5.30) with P < 0.0001. Conclusion Although toxoplasmosis could be considered as a potential risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, more and better quality studies are needed to determine the effect of T. gondii infection on induction or exacerbation of RA. Our study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.

Tagged: antitoxoplasma antibodies, diseases, Epidemiology, gondii infection, prevalence, risk factors

Physical health Reviews

Is Toxoplasma gondii playing a positive role in multiple sclerosis risk? A systematic review and meta-analysis

August 31, 2018
Saberi, R., Sharif, M., Sarvi, S., Aghayan, S. A., Hosseini, S. A., Anvari, D., Chegeni, T. N., Hosseininejad, Z., Daryani, A.
Journal of Neuroimmunology 2018;322: 57-62

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Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii with a globally widespread distribution. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to characterize the association between T. gondii infection and multiple sclerosis (MS). The data were systematically collected from the English electronic databases up to April 2017. The research process resulted in the identification of five studies related to the subject of interest entailing 669 MS patients and 770 controls. The pooled prevalence rates of T. gondii infection in the MS patients and controls were estimated as 32.4% (95% CI: 27.4-38.6) and 39.1% (95% CI: 29.1-50.5), respectively. By random effect model, the combined odds ratio was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.49-1.06) with P = .0961. Although this meta-analysis study showed a lower seroprevalence of T. gondii in the MS patients as compared with that in the control group, no significant association was found between toxoplasmosis and MS disease. Further investigations are recommended to determine the detailed association between MS patients and T. gondii infection.

Tagged: antibodies, autoimmune, brain-development, diseases, family-members, hygiene hypothesis, infection, meta-analysis, multiple sclerosis, Parasite, responses, Schizophrenia, systematic review, Toxoplasma gondii

Physical health

Infection and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in human induced neurons from patients with brain disorders and healthy controls

October 3, 2016
Passeri E, Jones-Brando, L Bordon, C Sengupta, S Wilson, AM Primerano, A Rapoport, JL Ishizuka, K Kano, S Yolken, RH Sawa, A
Microbes and Infection 2016; 18: 153-158

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Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of establishing persistent infection within the brain. Serological studies in humans have linked exposure to Toxoplasma to neuropsychiatric disorders. However, serological studies have not elucidated the related molecular mechanisms within neuronal cells. To address this question, we used human induced neuronal cells derived from peripheral fibroblasts of healthy individuals and patients with genetically-defined brain disorders (i.e. childhood-onset schizophrenia with disease-associated copy number variations). Parasite infection was characterized by differential detection of tachyzoites and tissue cysts in induced neuronal cells. This approach may aid study of molecular mechanisms underlying individual predisposition to Toxoplasma infection linked to neuropathology of brain disorders

Tagged: antibodies, bipolar disorder, brain, cells, conversion, cysts, diseases, disorders, fibroblasts, functional-neurons, induced neuronal cells, risk, Schizophrenia, tachyzoites, Toxoplasma gondii

Physical health

Cerebral toxoplasmosis in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma patient

May 24, 2016
Savsek, L., Opaskar, T.R.
Radiology and Onkology 2016; 50: 87-93

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Background. Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic protozoal infection that has, until now, probably been an underestimated cause of encephalitis in patients with hematological malignancies, independent of stem cell or bone marrow transplant. T and B cell depleting regimens are probably an important risk factor for reactivation of a latent toxoplasma infection in these patients. Case report. We describe a 62-year-old HIV-negative right-handed Caucasian female with systemic diffuse large B cell lymphoma who presented with sudden onset of high fever, headache, altered mental status, ataxia and findings of pancytopenia, a few days after receiving her final, 8th cycle of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisolone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy regimen. A progression of lymphoma to the central nervous system was suspected. MRI of the head revealed multiple on T2 and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintense parenchymal lesions with mild surrounding edema, located in both cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres that demonstrated moderate gadolinium enhancement. The polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF PCR) was positive for Toxoplasma gondii. The patient was diagnosed with toxoplasmic encephalitis and successfully treated with sulfadiazine, pyrimethamine and folic acid. Due to the need for maintenance therapy with rituximab for lymphoma remission, the patient now continues with secondary prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis. Conclusions. With this case report, we wish to emphasize the need to consider cerebral toxoplasmosis in patients with hematological malignancies on immunosuppressive therapy when presenting with new neurologic deficits. In such patients, there are numerous differential diagnoses for cerebral toxoplasmosis, and the CNS lymphoma is the most difficult among all to distinguish it from. If left untreated, cerebral toxoplasmosis has a high mortality rate; therefore early recognition and treatment are of essential importance.

Tagged: aids patients, b-cell, bone-marrow-transplantation, central-nervous-system, cerebral, diseases, encephalitis, hiv, hosts, immunocompromised, infections, lymphoma, magnetic resonance imaging, prevention, rituximab, strategies, toxoplasmosis, treatment

Mental health Physical health

Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

diseases

The association between Toxoplasma and the psychosis continuum in a general population setting

Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Is Toxoplasma gondii playing a positive role in multiple sclerosis risk? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Infection and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in human induced neurons from patients with brain disorders and healthy controls

Cerebral toxoplasmosis in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma patient