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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

aids

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

October 3, 2017
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

A man in his 40s with altered mental status, ataxia and unilateral weakness

January 3, 2017
Malhotra, K., Khunger, M., Pu, C. F., Scott, T. F.
Neuropathology 2017; 37: 286-290
Tagged: aids, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, corpus-callosum, lymphoma

Mental health

Dementia associated with infectious diseases

October 30, 2005
Almeida OP, Lautenschlager NT
IntPsychogeriatr 2005; 17 Suppl 1:S65-77.: S65-S77
Click for abstract
At the turn of the last century, infectious diseases represented an important cause of health morbidity and behavioral changes. Neurosyphilis, for example, was relatively common at the time and often led to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. With the advent of effective antibiotic treatment, the association between infectious diseases and dementia became increasingly less frequent, although a resurgence of interest in this area has taken place during the past 15 years with the emergence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). This paper reviews the most frequent infectious causes of dementia, including prion diseases, as well as infections caused by herpes virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), toxoplasmosis, cryptococcus, cytomegalovirus, syphilis, borrelia and cysticercosis.

Tagged: active antiretroviral therapy, aids, alzheimers-disease, central-nervous-system, cognitive impairment, creutzfeldt-jakob-disease, cryptococcal meningitis, general paresis, herpes, hiv, lyme disease, maintenance therapy, neurocysticercosis, prion diseases, syphilis, toxoplasmosis

Mental health

Alzheimer’s dementia or cerebral toxoplasmosis? Case study of dementia following toxoplasmosis infection

November 7, 2002
Freidel S, Martin-Solch C, Schreiter-Gasser U.
Nervenarzt 2002; 73: 874-878
Click for abstract
Cerebral toxoplasmosis can lead to dementia in AIDS and in immunodeficient patients. We present a case study in which cerebral toxoplasmosis was associated with a dementia of Alzheimer type. Half a year to one year before the cognitive impairment began, the patient suffered a subacute infection of toxoplasmosis at the age of 56. Neuropsychological examination as well as MRI suggested a diagnosis of dementia with infectious genesis. However, serological tests showed only little evidence of infection. Since the results of the PET examination indicated changes in the glucose metabolism typical of Alzheimer's disease,we infer a comorbidity of cerebral toxoplasmosis and dementia of Alzheimer type.

Tagged: aids, alzheimer dementia, central-nervous-system, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, disease, encephalitis

Mental health

Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in individuals with first-episode schizophrenia

March 26, 2001
Yolken, R. H., Bachmann, S., Rouslanova, I., Lillehoj, E., Ford, G., Torrey, E. F., Schroeder, J.
Clinical Infectious Diseases 2001; 32: 842-844
Click for abstract
We employed enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blotting techniques to measure the level of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii proteins in serum samples from 38 individuals undergoing their first episode of schizophrenia and from a group of matched control subjects. We found that the individuals with first-episode schizophrenia had significantly increased levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA class antibodies to Toxoplasma proteins, as compared with the control subjects.

Tagged: aids, antigens, behavior, immunoglobulin-m, infection

Mental health

Parkinsonian symptoms as an initial manifestation in a Japanese patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Toxoplasma infection

November 7, 2000
Murakami, T., Nakajima, M., Nakamura, T., Hara, A., Uyama, E., Mita, S., Matsushita, S., Uchino, M.
Internal Medicine 2000; 39: 1111-1114
Click for abstract
We studied a Japanese patient who developed parkinsonian symptoms over 3 months before the diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Brain MRI showed multiple lesions with mass effect and ring enhancement in the basal ganglia and subcortical white matter suggesting Toxoplasma infection. Anti-Toxoplasma therapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy for 6 months allowed improvement of parkinsonism, brain MRI findings, and immune system.

Tagged: aids, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, highly active antiretroviral therapy, hiv-infection, movement-disorders, toxoplasmosis, virus

Mental 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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