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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

depression scale

Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and mood disturbance in women veterans

October 9, 2015
Duffy, A. R., Beckie, T. M., Brenner, L. A., Beckstead, J. W., Seyfang, A., Postolache, T. T., Groer, M. W.
Military Medicine 2015; 180: 621-625.
Click for abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite with zoonotic potential that causes acute and chronic diseases, which has been associated with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and suicidal behavior. Military personnel may be at increased risk for exposure to the parasite when deployed to countries with high prevalence rates. Methods: Women Veterans were recruited to participate in the study at an event to recognize women Veterans and later through e-mails. Blood samples were collected from 70 women Veterans (mean age: 47 years) and analyzed for T. gondii IgG titer. Participants completed a demographic instrument, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Military. Results: The infectivity rate was lower than the rate in the United States (11.4% [8 out of 70 were seropositive], but 6 of the 8 [75%] had been deployed outside the United States. Pearson correlations and t tests showed significant relationships between T. gondii seropositivity and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score), POMS-depression, POMS-confusion, and POMS-anger subscale scores, and total mood disturbance score. Conclusions: This study is the first to describe biobehavioral relationships between chronic T. gondii infection, depression, and dysphoric moods in a military veteran population

Tagged: afghanistan war veterans, antibody-titers, depression scale, military recruits, psychometric properties, ptsd checklist, short-form, suicide mortality, traffic accidents, united-states

Mental healthPersonality

Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G antibodies and nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence

October 11, 2012
Zhang, Y. F., Traskman-Bendz, L., Janelidze, S., Langenberg, P., Saleh, A., Constantine, N., Okusaga, O., Bay-Richter, C., Brundin, L., Postolache, T. T.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2012; 73: 1069-1076
Click for abstract
Objective: The primary aim was to relate Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity to scores on the self-rated Suicide Assessment Scale (SUAS-S). Another aim was to reevaluate the previously reported positive association between T gondii serointensity and a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Method: This cross-sectional, observational study compared T gondii serointensity and seropositivity in plasma from 54 adult suicide attempters (inpatients at Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden) and 30 adult control subjects (randomly selected from the municipal population register in Lund, Sweden) recruited between 2006 and 2010.The potential of patients and controls for self-directed violence was evaluated with the SUAS-S. Psychiatric diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV criteria. Plasma samples were tested for immunoglobulin G antibodies to T gondii, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus type 1. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to investigate the association between T gondii serointensity or seropositivity and a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence; multivariable linear regression was used to explore the relationship between T gondii serointensify or seropositivity and the SUAS-S. Both regression models included sex, age, and body mass index as covariates. Results: Seropositivity of T gondii (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=7.12; 95% CI, 1.66-30.6; P=.008) and serointensity of T gondii (adjusted OR=2.01; 95% CI, 1.09-3.71; P=.03) were positively associated with a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Seropositivity of T gondii was associated with higher SUAS-S scores, a relationship significant for the whole sample (P=.026), but not for suicide attempters only. No significant associations with other pathogens were identified. Conclusions: These results are consistent with previous reports on the association between T gondii infection and nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Confirming these results in future large longitudinal studies and including suicide as an outcome may lead to novel individualized approaches in suicide prevention. J Clin Psychiatry 2012;73 (8):1069-1076 (c) Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Tagged: assessment scale, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, cerebrospinal fluid, depression scale, interferon-gamma, latent toxoplasmosis, personality changes, quinolinic acid, traffic accidents, united-states

BehaviorMental health

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Recent articles

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  • 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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