Toxoplasma gondii infection in first-episode and inpatient individuals with schizophrenia

Int J Infect Dis. 2010 Sep 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Toxoplasma gondii infection in first-episode and inpatient individuals with schizophrenia

Hamidinejat H, Ghorbanpoor M, Hosseini H, Alavi SM, Nabavi L, Jalali MH, Borojeni MP, Jafari H, Mohammadaligol S.

Department of Pathobiology, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract
BACKGROUND: A high seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection has been detected in psychiatric patients, particularly in schizophrenia cases.

METHODS: In the present study 98 patients suffering from schizophrenia (58 inpatients and 40 first-episode patients) and 96 control patients (50 healthy volunteers and 46 with a depressive disorder) were examined for the presence of both IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We applied the Bradford Hill criteria to identify the weight of causal inference.

RESULTS: The positivity rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies among individuals with schizophrenia (57.1%) was significantly higher than in healthy controls (29.2%). There were no associations between immune status ratio (ISR) values and the risk of schizophrenia. The weight of evidence approach using the Bradford Hill criteria revealed a 92% probability of a causal association.

CONCLUSION: Our results show that exposure to T. gondii may lead to schizophrenia.

PMID: 20843718 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]