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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

immunity

Is there a relation between the manipulative activity of Toxoplasma and personalized medicine?

May 3, 2018
Flegr, J.
Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy 2018; 16: 1-3
Tagged: allergy, blood group, immunity, infection, manipulation hypothesis, Parasite, personalized medicine, Rhesus factor, toxoplasmosis

Personality

Inflammatory markers in recent onset psychosis and chronic schizophrenia

March 23, 2016
Dickerson, F., Stallings, C., Origoni, A., Schroeder, J., Katsafanas, E., Schweinfurth, L., Savage, C., Khushalani, S., Yolken, R.
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2016; 42: 134-141
Click for abstract
Background. Immune markers have been associated with schizophrenia, but few studies have examined multiple markers in both recent onset and chronic schizophrenia patients. Methods. The sample of 588 individuals included 79 with recent onset psychosis, 249 with chronic schizophrenia, and 260 controls. A combined inflammation score was calculated by principal components factor analysis of the levels of C-reactive protein, Pentraxin 3, and IgG antibodies to gliadin, casein, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae measured in blood samples. Inflammation scores among groups were compared by multivariate analyses. Results. The chronic schizophrenia group showed significant elevations in the combined inflammation score compared with controls. The recent onset group surprisingly showed a reduction in the combined inflammation score. Consistent with these findings, the chronic schizophrenia group had significantly increased odds of a combined inflammation score greater than the 75th and the 90th percentile of that of the controls. The recent onset group had significantly increased odds of a combined inflammation score less than the 10th and the 25th percentile level of the controls. Conclusions. The recent onset of psychosis may be associated with inherent deficits in innate immunity. Individuals later in the course of disease may have increased levels of innate immunity. The reasons for these changes are not known with certainty but may be related to compensatory increases as the disease progresses. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the course of immune abnormalities in schizophrenia and their role in the clinical manifestations of the disorder.

Tagged: association, astrocytes, autoimmune diseases, c-reactive protein, dysfunction, immunity, inflammation, innate immunity, population, psychosis, risk, Schizophrenia, systém, toxoplasma gondii infection

Mental health

Slower postnatal motor development in infants of mothers with latent toxoplasmosis during the first 18 months of life

September 27, 2012 Leave a Comment
Kaňková, S., Sulc, J., Křivohlavá, R., Kuběna, A., Flegr, J.
Early Human Development 2012; 88: 879-874
Click for abstract
oxoplasmosis, a zoonosis caused by a protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii , is probably the most widespread human parasitosis in developed countries. Pregnant women with latent toxoplasmosis have seemingly younger fetuses especially in the 16thweekof gestation,which suggests that fetuses of Toxoplasma -infected mothers have slower rates of development in the fi rst trimester of pregnancy. In the present retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data on postnatal motor development of infants from 331 questionnaire respondents including 53 Toxoplasma - infected mothers to search for signs of early postnatal development disorders. During the fi rst year of life, a slower postnatal motor development was observed in infants of mothers with latent toxoplasmosis. These in- fants signi fi cantly later developed the ability to control the head position (p=0.039), to roll from supine to prone position (p=0.022) and were slightly later to begin crawling (p=0.059). Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that the difference in the rates of prenatal and early postnatal development between chil- drenof Toxoplasma -negative and Toxoplasma -positive mothers might becausedbya decreased stringency of em- bryo quality control in partly immunosuppressed Toxoplasma -positive mothers resulting in a higher proportion of infants with genetic or developmental disorders in offspring. However, because of relatively low return rate of questionnaires and an associated risk of a sieve effect, our results should be considered as preliminary and performing a large scale prospective study in the future is critically needed.

Tagged: immunity, Motor development, Parasite, retardation, Toxoplasma

Cognitive functionsMental healthPhysical health

A controlled prospective study of Toxoplasma gondii infection in individuals with schizophrenia: Beyond seroprevalence

October 27, 2007
Hinze-Selch, D., Daubener, W., Eggert, L., Erdag, S., Stoltenberg, R., Wilms, S.
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2007; 33: 782-788.
Click for abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (TG) infection has been reported to be more frequent in schizophrenia. The interaction of the lifelong persisting parasite with the host's immune system involves T-cell/interferon-gamma-induced degradation of tryptophan and provides a challenge to the host well beyond a possible role in the etiology of schizophrenia. The hypothesis we tested in this study was that TG infection may be more frequent (serofrequency) and/or more intense (serointensity) in patients with schizophrenia or major depression compared with psychiatrically healthy controls. In addition, these measures are associated with the clinical course. We did a cross-sectional, prospective investigation of individuals with schizophrenia (n = 277) and major depression (n = 465) admitted to our department (2002-2005) and of healthy controls (n = 214), with all groups adjusted for age and geographic home region. Serofrequency was comparable between the groups, but serointensity was significantly higher in the patients. In individuals with schizophrenia, serointensity was significantly positively associated with C-reactive protein levels and leukocyte counts, and first-episode patients yielded significantly higher serotiters. Immunomodulatory medication was associated with decreased serotiters. In addition, the route of infection appears to differ between patients and controls. Thus, our results support increased host responses to TG infection in the patients, as well as increased titers in first-episode patients with schizophrenia; this may relate to the shifted T-helper 1/2 status described in these patients. Therefore, we suggest that TG infection, particularly in individuals with schizophrenia, is an important environmental factor in the interaction between psychiatric vulnerability, genetic background, immunomodulation, and the neurotransmitter systems.

Tagged: 2, 3-dioxygenase, activation, antibodies, astrocytes, cells, depression, frontal-cortex, immune, immunity, infection, nitric-oxide synthase, psychosis, Toxoplasma gondii, tryptophan, tryptophan depletion

Mental health

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in patients with chronic heart failure

October 30, 2006
Yazar, S., Gur, M., Ozdogru, I., Yaman, O., Oguzhan, A., Sahin, I.
Journal of Medical Microbiology 2006; 55: 89-92
Click for abstract
Chronic heart failure (CHF) involves interactions between the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and immune systems. This study investigated the seropositivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA in patients with CHF. Ninety-seven patients with CHF and 50 healthy volunteers were selected for this investigation. The seropositivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies among CHF patients (68%) was significantly higher than in healthy volunteers (36%). Thus, parasitological screening of this group of patients should be periodically performed to prevent the possible dissemination of toxoplasmosis.

Tagged: cytokines, immunity, infections, mechanisms, natural-killer-cells, receptors, resistance

Physical health

Body height, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, fluctuating asymmetry and second to fourth digit ratio in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis

September 26, 2005 Leave a Comment
Flegr, J. Hrusková, M., Hodný, Z., Hanusová, J.
Parasitology 2005; 130: 621-628
Click for abstract
Between 20% and 60% of the population of most countries are infected with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii . Subjects with clinically asymptomatic life-long latent toxoplasmosis differ from those who are Toxoplasma free in several behavioural parameters. Case-control studies cannot decide whether these differences already existed before infection or whether they were induced by the presence of Toxoplasma in the brain of infected hosts. Here we searched for such morphological differences between Toxoplasma -infected and Toxoplasma -free subjects that could be induced by the parasite (body weight, body height, body mass index, waist-hip ratio), or could rather correlate with their natural resistance to parasitic infection (fluctuating asymmetry, 2D : 4D ratio). We found Toxoplasma -infected men to be taller and Toxoplasma -infected men and women to have lower 2D : 4D ratios previously reported to be associated with higher pre-natal testosterone levels. The 2D : 4D ratio negatively correlated with the level of specific anti- Toxoplasma antibodies in Toxoplasma -free subjects. These results suggest that some of the observed differences between infected and non-infected subjects may have existed before infection and could be caused by the lower natural resistance to Toxoplasma infection in subjects with higher pre-natal testosterone levels.

Tagged: (2D : 4D), ds: human, immunity, immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, resistance, testosterone, Toxoplasma

Morphology

Infection, treatment and immune response in patients with bipolar disorder versus patients with major depression, schizophrenia or healthy controls

November 7, 2002
Hinze-Selch D.
Bipolar Disord 2002; 4 Suppl 1: 81-83
Click for abstract
Bipolar disorder is the least Studied among the three major psychiatric disorders of schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. Furthermore, investigations on infection and immunity in bipolar disorder make up only a small portion of the sparse research done on this disorder. However, there are reports that modulation of the immune system and certain infections might be associated with bipolar disorder and that there might be differences between bipolar and the other disorders. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review published data on these issues in bipolar versus the other disorders, and to present an ongoing clinical study on the putative involvement of infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in these three major psychiatric disorders.

Tagged: bipolar disorder, blood mononuclear-cells, carbamazepine, disease, hiv-infection, immunity, in-vitro, infection, invitro, lithium, lymphocytes, secondary mania, sodium valproate, Toxoplasma gondii, valproate

Mental health

Does Toxoplasma cause polymyositis? Report of a case of polymyositis associated with toxoplasmosis and a critical review of the literature

November 8, 1983
Behan, W. M., Behan, P. O., Draper, I. T., Williams, H.
Acta Neuropathologica 1983; 61: 246-252
Click for abstract
We report here a case of polymyositis and toxoplasmosis, and review the previous examples of this association. We suggest that in most cases this relationship is due to reactivation of latent infection in an immunocompromised host. Gross immunological aberrations underline the pathogenesis of polymyositis and these predispose the patient to the development of toxoplasmosis. Anti-protozoal therapy is necessary and produces some clinical benefit, but it does not cure the polymyositis.

Tagged: adult, antibody formation, cellular, female, HLA antigens/analysis, humans, immunity, myositis/*etiology/immunology, toxoplasmosis/*complications/immunology

Physical health

Topics

  • Behavior 82
  • Cognitive functions 62
  • Mental health 398
  • Morphology 6
  • Motor functions 9
  • Personality 33
  • Physical health 135
  • Reproduction 28
  • Reviews 33
  • Sensory functions 3
  • Uncategorized 2

Archives

Recent articles

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  • The association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and hypertensive disorders in T2DM patients: a case-control study in the Han Chinese population September 4, 2018
  • The association between Toxoplasma and the psychosis continuum in a general population setting September 4, 2018

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