gondii infection – Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Mortality Patterns of Toxoplasmosis and Its Comorbidities in Tanzania: A 10-Year Retrospective Hospital-Based Survey

February 6, 2020
Mboera, L. E. G., Kishamawe, C., Kimario, E., Rumisha, S. F.
Frontiers in Public Health 2019, 7

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Latent toxoplasmosis aggravates anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour and suggest a role of gene-environment interactions in the behavioural response to the parasite

February 4, 2020
Bay-Richter, C., Petersen, E., Liebenberg, N., Elfving, B., Wegener, G.
Behavioural Brain Research 2019, 364: 133 - 139

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Relationship between toxoplasmosis and obsessive compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

February 1, 2020
Nayeri Chegeni, T., Sarvi, S. Amouei, A. Moosazadeh, M. Hosseininejad, Z. Aghayan, S. A. Daryani, A.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 19, 13

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Background A few studies investigated the relationship between toxoplasmosis and mental disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the specific nature of the association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and OCD is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to collect information on the relationship between OCD and toxoplasmosis and assess whether patients with toxoplasmosis are prone to OCD. Methods For the purpose of this study, 6 major electronic databases and the Internet search engine Google Scholar were searched for the published articles up to July 30(th), 2018 with no restriction of language. The inverse variance method and the random effect model were used to combine the data. The values of odds ratio (OR) were estimated at 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 9 case-control and 3 cross-sectional studies were included in our systematic review. However, 11 of these 12 articles were entered into the meta-analysis containing 9873 participants, out of whom 389 were with OCD (25.96% positive for toxoplasmosis) and 9484 were without OCD (17.12% positive for toxoplasmosis). The estimation of the random effect model indicated a significant common OR of 1.96 [95% CI: 1.32-2.90]. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that toxoplasmosis could be as an associated factor for OCD (OR = 1.96). However, further prospective investigations are highly recommended to illuminate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of T. gondii infection in OCD and to better investigate the relationship between OCD and T. gondii infection. Author summary Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate neurotropic parasite that infected about 25-30% of the total human population in the developed and developing countries. The obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disease that affects the income and quality of life. Some studies confirmed an association between infectious agents as the associated or protective factors specifying the development of psychiatry diseases. Among various pathogens associated with psychological disorders, most of the attention is on T. gondii, which has a life-long asymptomatic latent phase after a short acute stage in healthy individuals. The detrimental effect of T. gondii on immunocompromised people and pregnant women is an important concern for public health. The correlation between toxoplasmosis and OCD is still relatively understudied with a paucity of documented findings. The previous meta-analysis reviewed only two studies and reported a 3.4-fold greater chance of OCD. The results of our study presented stronger evidence of a positive relationship between toxoplasmosis and OCD. Eventually, our research team hopes to present an overview of what is known and encourage more intensive research to determine the real impact of this parasite on the occurrence of OCD that may contribute to the prevention of OCD worldwid

Risk of congenital toxoplasmosis in women with low or indeterminate anti-Toxoplasma IgG avidity index in the first trimester of pregnancy: an observational retrospective study

January 31, 2020
Tomasoni, L. R., Messina, G., Genco, F., Scudeller, L., Prestia, M., Spinoni, V., Bonfanti, C., Prefumo, F., Castelli, F., Meroni, V.
Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2019, 25

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Latent toxoplasmosis and psychiatric symptoms – A role of tryptophan metabolism?

January 31, 2020
Latent toxoplasmosis and psychiatric symptoms - A role of tryptophan metabolism?
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2019, 110: 45 - 50

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Toxoplasmosis and mental disorders in the Russian Federation (with special reference to schizophrenia)

January 30, 2020
Stepanova, E. V., Kondrashin, A. V., Sergiev, V. P., Morozova, L. F., Turbabina, N. A., Maksimova, M. S., Romanov, D. V., Kinkulkina, M. A., Lazareva, A. V., Morozov, E. N.
PLoS ONE 2019, 14

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The association of latent toxoplasmosis with mental disorders in general and with schizophrenia in particular was noticed in the mid-1950s. In subsequent years, the role of Toxoplasma gondii was established based on its ability to survive for long periods of time in the nerve cells of the brain. The acute manifestations of the infection include psychopathic symptoms resembling those of schizophrenia. In the former USSR, and in other parts of the world, a number of studies were performed with respect to the association of latent toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia. However, with the dissolution of the USSR at the beginning of the 1990s, studies on the subject were halted due to financial problems and have resumed only recently. The reasons for the resumption of such studies in contemporary Russia are related to the progressively increasing incidence of schizophrenia over the last 25-30 years in the country. According to official data, approximately 550 000 persons reported suffering from the disease in 2014. There are reasons to believe that this is only a fraction of the real burden of the disease. Economically, it cost the state no less than approximately US $10 billion. The purpose of the study was to identify the level of toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in patients with verified diagnoses of schizophrenia in comparison to healthy people in Moscow City and in the Moscow region. A total of 155 persons constituted the patients group and 152 healthy people were in the control group. An integrated approach to the diagnosis and comparison of data from the entire spectrum of serological markers of infection was used, including the detection of specific IgM and the determination of IgG concentrations. It was found that among persons with neuropsychiatric disorders, the incidence of cases with latent toxoplasmosis was higher than in the control group. The effect of toxoplasmosis was significant and similar for men and women. Further statistical analyses revealed that among patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the incidence of latent toxoplasmosis was significantly higher than in the control group. These data are in agreement with the results of similar studies in other countries.

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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Can offspring sex ratios help to explain the endocrine effects of toxoplasmosis infection on human behaviour?

August 31, 2018
James, W. H., Grech, V.
Early Human Development 2018; 122: 42-44

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Toxoplasma antibody titers in mania: A cross sectional study

August 31, 2018
Mangot, A. G., Shivakumar, V., Saini, V., Subbanna, M., Kalmady, S. V., Venkatasubramanian, G.
Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University 2018; 7: 13-20

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Risky business: linking Toxoplasma gondii infection and entrepreneurship behaviours across individuals and countries

August 31, 2018
Johnson, S. K., Fitza, M. A. , Lerner, D. A., Calhoun, D. M., Beldon, M. A. , Chan, E. T., Johnson, P. T. J.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 2018; 285

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Latent toxoplasma infection in real-world schizophrenia: Results from the national FACE-SZ cohort

February 12, 2018
Fond,G., Boyer, L. ,Schurhoff, F. ., Berna,F. , Godin, O., Bulzacka, E., Andrianarisoa, M. Brunel, ,L. ,Aouizerate, B. , Capdevielle, D.,Chereau, I. , Coulon, N., D'Amato, T. , Dubertret,C. , Dubreucq, J.,Faget, C.,. Lancon, Leignier,S., Mallet,J., Misdrahi, D., Passerieux, C., Rey,R., Schandrin,A., Urbach,M., Vidailhet,P., Llorca, P. M., Leboyer, M., Grp,F.S.
Schizophrenia Research 2018; 201: 373-380

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Objective: Latent Toxoplasma infection has been associated with widespread brain immune activation, increased blood brain barrier permeability, neural disruption, increased dopamine release in dopaminergic neurons, with NMDA activation and with schizophrenia (SZ) onset risk. Toxoplasma has been suggested to be a source of chronic low-grade inflammation and this inflammation has been associated with cognitive impairment in SZ. The objective of the present study were (i) to determine if latent Toxoplasma infection was associated with specific clinical features in stabilized SZ subjects, with cognitive impairment and with increased low-grade peripheral inflammation and (ii) to determine if Treatments with Anti-Toxoplasmic Activity (TATA) were associated with improved outcomes in subjects with latent Toxoplasma infection. Methods: A comprehensive 2 daylong clinical and neuropsychological battery was administered in 250 SZ subjects included between 2015 and 2017 in the national FondaMental Expert Center (FACE-SZ) Cohort. Solid phase-enzyme microplate immunoassay methods were used to measure IgG class of antibodies to T. gondii in blood sample. Latent Toxoplasma infection was defined by T. gondii IgG ratio >= 0.8, equivalent to >= 10 international units. Chronic peripheral inflammation was defined by highly sensitive Creactive protein blood level >= 3 mg/L. Results: Latent Toxoplasma infection has been found in 184 (73.6%) of this national multicentric sample. In the multivariate analyses, latent Toxoplasma infection has been significantly associated with higher PANSS negative (aOR = 1.1 [1.1-1.1], p = 0.04) and excitement subscores (aOR = 1.3 [1.1-1.6], p = 0.01), with two specific symptoms (i.e., reference delusion (aOR = 3.6 [1.2-10.6] p = 0.01) and alogia (aOR = 16.7 [2.0-134.7], p = 0.008)) and with chronic low-grade peripheral inflammation (27.2% vs. 7.6%, aOR = 3.8 [1.4-10.3], p = 0.004). Extrapyramidal symptoms remained significantly associated with latent Toxoplasma infection. On the opposite, no significant association of latent Toxoplasma infection with age, gender, age at SZ onset, suicide behavior or cognitive deficits has been found in these models (all p > 0.05). TATA were associated with lower depressive symptoms (aOR = 0.8[0.7-0.9], p = 0.01), and with lower rates of chronic peripheral inflammation (20.9% vs. 48.6%, aOR = 3.5 [1.5-7.9], p = 0.003) but not with higher cognitive scores (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The present findings suggest that Toxoplasma is almost 3 times more frequent in SZ population compared to general population in France. The potential cerebral underpinnings of the association of latent Toxoplasma infection and the above-mentioned outcomes have been discussed. Future studies should confirm that TATA may be effective to reduce Toxoplasma-associated depressive symptoms and low-grade peripheral inflammation.

The potential risk of toxoplasmosis for traffic accidents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

February 12, 2018
Gohardehi, S. , Sharif, M. , Sarvi, S., Moosazadeh, M., Alizadeh-Navaei,R., Hosseini,S. A., Amouei,A. , Pagheh, A. , Sadeghi , M., Daryani, A.
Experimental Parasitology 2018; 191: 19-24

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Prevalence of toxoplasmosis and its association with dementia in older adults in Central Africa: a result from the EPIDEMCA programme

February 12, 2018
Bouscaren, N., Pilleron,S. , Mbelesso,P. , Ndamba-Bandzouzi,B., Dartigues,J. F. , Clement,J. P. , Preux, P. M., Darde,M. L., Guerchet , M. , Grp, E.
Tropical Medicine and International Health 2018;23: 1304-1313

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Fetomaternal and pediatric toxoplasmosis

December 6, 2017
Oz, H. S.
Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 2017; 12: 202-208

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A critical assessment of the association between postnatal toxoplasmosis and epilepsy in immune-competent patients

October 2, 2017
Uzorka, J.W., Arend ,S.M.
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2017; 36: 1111-1117

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Bipolar disorder with psychotic features and ocular toxoplasmosis

January 3, 2017
Del Grande, C., Contini, C., Schiavi, E., Rutigliano, G., Maritati, M., Seraceni, S., Pinto, B., Dell'Osso, L., Bruschi, F.
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2017; 205: 192-195

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What Is Your Neurologic Diagnosis? Toxoplasmosis

October 6, 2016
Hu, H. Z., Jeffery, N. D., Donnelly, J., Severs, M., Lindquist, T., Gilmour, L., Flaherty, H. A., Barker, A. K.
Javma-Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2016; 249: 1007-1010.

Is toxoplasmosis a potential risk factor for liver cirrhosis?

October 9, 2015
El-Henawy, A. A., Razik, A. A., Zakaria, S., Elhammady, D., Saudy, N., Azab, M. S.
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine 2015; 8: 768-775

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Neurobiological studies on the relationship between toxoplasmosis and neuropsychiatric diseases

October 9, 2015
Fabiani, S., Pinto, B., Bonuccelli, U., Bruschi, F.
Journal of the Neurological Sciences 2015; 35:3-8

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Treatment with anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA) for Toxoplasma positive patients with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study

October 9, 2015
Fond, G., Boyer, L., Gaman, A., Laouamri, H., Attiba, D., Richard, J. R., Delavest, M., Houenou, J., Le Corvoisier, P., Charron, D., Krishnamoorthy, R., Oliveira, J., Tamouza, R., Yolken, R., Dickerson, F., Leboyer, M., Hamdani, N.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2015; 63: 58-64.

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Objective: The association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and respectively Bipolar Disorder (BD) and Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective disorder (SZ) is one of the most studied link between one pathogen and psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was thus to retrospectively determine if the administration of an antipsychotic and/or a mood stabilizer having known in vitro Anti-Toxoplasmic Activity (TATA+) was associated with a better clinical outcome in a population of 152 BD or 114 SZ patients and seropositive for T gondii infection compared to patients receiving a treatment without anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA-). Methods: This multicenter study was conducted in an academic public hospital during a 3-years period between 2009 and 2011. All consecutive inpatients and outpatients with SZ or BD diagnosis with a stable treatment for more than 4 weeks were recruited. socio-demographic and clinical characteristics measured with validated scales as well as a serological status for toxoplasmic infection were included. Treatments were classified according to their in vitro antitoxoplasmic activity. A multivariate model was used to determine the clinical characteristics that were significantly different between patients receiving a treatment with no antitoxoplasmic activity compared to others. Results: BD patients with positive serum antibodies against T gondii presented more lifetime depressive episodes (p = 0.048) after adjustment forage, sex and sociodemographic characteristics when treated by drug having no anti-toxo activity, compared to patients having received drugs with anti-toxo activity. A significant difference was not found in BD toxonegative patients and in SZ toxopositive or toxonegative patients. Conclusions: It seems to be of importance to consider prescribing a drug with a clear anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA+) for BD patients seropositive to T. gondii, in particular valproate that was found as the mood stabilizer with the highest antitoxoplasmic activity. Prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this preliminary data.

Association between latent toxoplasmosis and cognition in adults: a cross-sectional study

October 9, 2015
Gale, S. D., Brown, B. L., Erickson, L. D., Berrett, A., Hedges, D. W.
Parasitology 2015; 142: 557-565

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Immediate rather than delayed memory impairment in older adults with latent toxoplasmosis

October 6, 2015
Mendy, A., Vieira, E. R., Albatineh, A. N., Gasana, J.
Brain Behavior and Immunity 2015; 45: 36-40

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Toxoplasmosis and epilepsy – systematic review and meta analysis

October 6, 2015
Ngoungou, E. B., Bhalla, D., Nzoghe, A., Darde, M. L., Preux, P. M.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2015; 9

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Interaction between Helicobacter pylori and latent toxoplasmosis and demographic variables on cognitive function in young to middle-aged adults

January 9, 2015
Gale, S. D., Erickson, L. D., Brown, B. L., Hedges, D. W.
Plos One 2015; 10: UNSP e0116874 10.1371/journal.pone.0116874

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Neuropsychiatric manifestations of latent toxoplasmosis on mothers and their offspring

October 10, 2014
Abdoli, A., Dalimi, A., Arbabi, M., Ghaffarifar, F.
Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 2014; 27: 1368-1374

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Association between latent toxoplasmosis and major depression, generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in human adults

October 9, 2014
Gale, S. D., Brown, B. L., Berrett, A., Erickson, L. D., Hedges, D. W.
Folia Parasitologica 2014; 61: 285-292.

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

October 11, 2013
Fabiani, S., Pinto, B., Bruschi, F.
Neurological Sciences 2013; 34: 417-425

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Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women

October 11, 2013
Khademvatan, S., Khajeddin, N., Saki, J., Izadi-Mazidi, S.
South African Journal of Science 2013; 109: 92-95

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Toxoplasma oocysts as a public health problem

October 9, 2013
Torrey, E.F., Yolken, R.H.
Trends in Parasitology 2013; 29: 380-384

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Latent toxoplasmosis and human

January 10, 2012
Dalimi, A., Abdoli, A.
Iranian Journal of Parasitology 2012; 7: 1-17

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Toxoplasma infection in schizophrenia patients: A comparative study with control group

October 19, 2011
Alipour, A., Shojaee, S., Mohebali, M., Tehranidoost, M., Masoleh, F. A., Keshavarz, H.
Iranian Journal of Parasitology 2011; 6: 31-37

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Toxoplasma infection and later development of schizophrenia in mothers

January 5, 2011
Pedersen, M. G., Stevens, H., Pedersen, C. B., Norgaard-Pedersen, B., Mortensen, P. B
American Journal of Psychiatry 2011;168: 814-821

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Toxoplasmosis as a cause for behaviour disorders – overview of evidence and mechanisms

October 19, 2010
Fekadu A, Shibre T, Cleare AJ.
Folia Parasitologica 2010; 57: 105-113

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Autism spectrum disorders may be due to cerebral toxoplasmosis associated with chronic neuroinflammation causing persistent hypercytokinemia that resulted in an increased lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and depressed metabolism of endogenous and exogenous substances

October 19, 2010
Prandota J.
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 2010; 4: 119-155

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Worldwide, approximately 2 billion people are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii with largely yet unknown consequences. Patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) similarly as mice with chronic toxoplasmosis have persistent neuroinflammation, hypercytokinemia with hypermetabolism associated with enhanced lipid peroxidation, and extreme changes in the weight resulting in obesity or wasting. Data presented in this review suggest that environmental triggering factors such as pregnancy, viral/bacterial infections, vaccinations, medications, and other substances caused reactivation of latent cerebral toxoplasmosis because of changes in intensity of latent central nervous system T. gondii infection/inflammation and finally resulted in development of ASD. Examples of such environmental factors together with their respective biomarker abnormalities are: pregnancy (increased NO, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10, prolactin: decreased IFN-gamma, IL-12), neuroborreliosis (increased IL-1 beta, sIL-1R2, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-18, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1)), vital infections (increased IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma/alpha/beta,TGF-beta 1), thimerosal (increased IL-5, IL-13; decreased IFN-gamma,TNF-alpha,IL-6, IL-12p70, NOS), and valproic acid (increased NO, reactive oxygen species; decreased TNF-alpha, IL-6, IFN-gamma). The imbalances in pro- and antiinflammatory processes could markedly hinder [lost defense mechanisms important for immune control of the parasite, such as the production of NO, cytokines, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, tryptophan degradation by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and/or tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase, limitation of the availability of intracellular iron to T gondii, and the mechanisms mediated by an IFN-gamma responsive gene family. These fluctuations could result in a recurrent profuse multiplication of T. gondii in the brain associated with persistent neuroinflammation, chronic overproduction of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines, and NO causing increased oxidative stress, and significantly depressed activity of several enzymes including cytochrome P450 monooxygenase family responsible for metabolism of physiological substrates and xenobiotics, such as steroids, fatty acids, prostaglandins, drugs, pollutants, and carcinogens, finally leading to development of ASD. This reasoning may be supported by such abnormal metabolic events as: (1) patients with ASD have significantly decreased melatonin levels caused by marked deficit in acetylserotonin methyltransferase activity, possibly resulting from maternal and/or fetal/postnatal overproduction of NO, characteristic for this clinical entity; (2) thimerosal inhibited both insulin-like growth factor-1- and dopamine-stimulated methylation reactions, and depressed methionine synthase activity, the metabolic events important for promoting normal neurodevelopment; (3) valproic acid, a strong histone deacetylase inhibitor, have potent anti-T. gondii activity. Thus, patients with ASD should be tested for T. gondii infection. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Possible role of toxoplasmosis in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

October 19, 2010
Tanyuksel, M., Uzun, O., Araz, E., Koru, O., Babur, C.
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 2010; 40: 399-404

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The role of latent toxoplasmosis in the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia – the risk factor or an indication of a contact with cat?

October 19, 2010
Yuksel, P., Alpay, N., Babur, C., Bayar, R., Saribas, S., Karakose, A. R., Aksoy, C., Aslan, M., Mehmetali, S., Kilic, S., Balcioglu, I., Hamanca, O., Dirican, A., Kucukbasmaci, O., Oner, A., Torun, M. M., Kocazeybek, B.
Folia Parasitologica 2010; 57: 121-128

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Toxoplasmosis: A history of clinical observations

October 29, 2009
Weiss, L..M., Dubey, J.P.
International Journal for Parasitology 2009; 39 :1217-1258

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Toxoplasma and schizophrenia

October 26, 2009
Yolken, R.H., Dickerson, F.B, Torrey, E.F.
Parasite Immunology 2009; 31: 706-715.

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Prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in first-episode schizophrenia and comparison between Toxoplasma-seropositive and Toxoplasma-seronegative schizophrenia

October 30, 2006
Wang, H. L., Wang, G. H., Li, Q. Y., Shu, C., Jiang, M. S., Guo, Y.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2006; 114: 40-48.

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Maternal exposure to toxoplasmosis and risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring

October 30, 2005
Brown, A. S., Schaefer, C. A., Quesenberry, C. P., Liu, L. Y., Babulas, V. P., Susser, E. S.
American Journal of Psychiatry 2005; 162: 767-773

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