Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Feb;53(1):29-34. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.29.

Seropositivity and Serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and DNA among Patients with Schizophrenia

• Omar A
• Bakar OC
• Adam NF
• Osman H
• Osman A
• Suleiman A
• Manaf MR
• Selamat MI

• KMID: 2381793
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.29

Abstract

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.

Keyword

Toxoplasma gondii; schizophrenia; serofrequency; serointensity

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood
Case-Control Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
DNA, Protozoan/*blood
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin G/blood
Immunoglobulin M/blood
Malaysia
Male
Middle Aged
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Schizophrenia/*complications
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification
Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology
Young Adult
Antibodies, Protozoan
DNA, Protozoan
Immunoglobulin G
Immunoglobulin M