Pathogens

Research

8 pages, 273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Toxoplasma gondii Infection Associated with Sexual Promiscuity? A Cross-Sectional Study

by Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Sergio Estrada-Martínez, Agar Ramos-Nevárez, Alma Rosa Pérez-Álamos, Isabel Beristain-Garcia, Ángel Osvaldo Alvarado-Félix, Sandra Margarita Cerrillo-Soto, Gustavo Alexis Alvarado-Félix, Carlos Alberto Guido-Arreola, Leandro Sáenz-Soto and Antonio Sifuentes-Álvarez

Pathogens 2021, 10(11), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10111393 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

We determined the association between T. gondii seropositivity and a history of sexual promiscuity. The study included 3933 people (mean age: 41.81 ± 14.31 years) who attended public health facilities. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Enzyme immunoassays were used to determine [...] Read more.

We determined the association between T. gondii seropositivity and a history of sexual promiscuity. The study included 3933 people (mean age: 41.81 ± 14.31 years) who attended public health facilities. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Enzyme immunoassays were used to determine anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 57 (18.1%) of 315 individuals with sexual promiscuity and in 374 (10.3%) of 3618 individuals without this practice (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.41–2.60; p < 0.0001). High (>150 IU/mL) levels of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 29 (9.2%) of the 315 participants with sexual promiscuity and in 167 (4.6%) of the 3618 participants without this history (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.38–3.16; p = 0.0003). The association of sexual promiscuity with T. gondii seropositivity and serointensity was observed in men but not in women. Sexual promiscuity was associated with T. gondii seropositivity in all age groups studied (≤30 years, 31–50 years, and >50 years) and with T. gondii serointensity in two age groups (≤30 years, and >50 years). No difference in the frequencies of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies among the groups was found. Our findings indicate that T. gondii seropositivity and serointensity are associated with sexual promiscuity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

7 pages, 256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Brain and a History of Depression in Suicide Decedents: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Laura Alejandra Mendoza-Larios, Fernando García-Dolores, Luis Francisco Sánchez-Anguiano, Elizabeth Irasema Antuna-Salcido, Jesús Hernández-Tinoco, Adriana Rocha-Salais, Marcela Araceli Segoviano-Mendoza and Antonio Sifuentes-Álvarez

Pathogens 2021, 10(10), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10101313 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1575

Abstract

We assessed the association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection of the central nervous system and suicide correlates in suicide decedents. Eighty-seven decedents who died by suicide received in a forensic setting for medico-legal autopsies in Mexico City were studied. Two [...] Read more.

We assessed the association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection of the central nervous system and suicide correlates in suicide decedents. Eighty-seven decedents who died by suicide received in a forensic setting for medico-legal autopsies in Mexico City were studied. Two samples of brain (amygdala and prefrontal cortex) from each decedent were examined for detection of T. gondii using immunohistochemistry. Correlates of suicide including a history of previous suicide attempts, co-morbid mental disorder, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, irritability and aggression, economic problems, presence of drugs or alcohol in blood and suicide method were obtained and analyzed for their association with T. gondii infection. T. gondii immunohistochemistry was positive in prefrontal cortex sections in 6 decedents and in an amygdala section in one decedent. Thus, the prevalence of T. gondii infection in brain in suicide victims was 8.0% (7/87). Bivariate and logistic regression analysis of suicide correlates showed that only a history of depression was associated with T. gondii infection of the brain in suicide victims (OR: 12.00; 95% CI: 2.26–63.46; p = 0.003). Our results provide evidence that T. gondii infection in brain is associated with a history of depression in suicide decedents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

11 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and Seropositivity and Serointensity and Depression in Adults from the United Kingdom and the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Bruce L. Brown and Dawson W. Hedges

Pathogens 2021, 10(9), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10091101 - 29 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2259

Abstract

Infecting approximately one-third of the world’s population, the neurotropic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with cognition and several neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Findings have been mixed, however, about the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and depression, with some studies reporting [...] Read more.

Infecting approximately one-third of the world’s population, the neurotropic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with cognition and several neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Findings have been mixed, however, about the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and depression, with some studies reporting positive associations and others finding no associations. To further investigate the association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression, we used data from the UK Biobank and the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). Results from adjusted multiple-regression modeling showed no significant associations between Toxoplasma gondii and depression in either the UK Biobank or NHANES datasets. Further, we found no significant interactions between Toxoplasma gondii and age, sex, educational attainment, and income in either dataset that affected the association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression. These results from two community-based datasets suggest that in these samples, Toxoplasma gondii is not associated with depression. Differences between our findings and other findings showing an association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression could be due to several factors including differences in socioeconomic variables, differences in Toxoplasma gondii strain, and use of different covariates in statistical modeling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

6 pages, 249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Suicide and Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity

by Laura Alejandra Mendoza-Larios, Fernando García-Dolores, Luis Francisco Sánchez-Anguiano, Jesús Hernández-Tinoco and Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel

Pathogens 2021, 10(9), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10091094 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2120

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the association between suicide and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) seropositivity. Serum samples of 89 decedents who committed suicide (cases) and 58 decedents who did not commit suicide (controls) were tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and [...] Read more.

This study aimed to determine the association between suicide and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) seropositivity. Serum samples of 89 decedents who committed suicide (cases) and 58 decedents who did not commit suicide (controls) were tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were further detected by enzyme-linked fluorescence assay (ELFA). A total of 8 (9.0%) of the 89 cases and 6 (10.3%) of the 58 controls were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.28–2.60; p = 0.78). Anti-T. gondii IgG levels were higher than 150 IU/mL in two (2.2%) cases and in five (8.6%) controls (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.04–1.30; p = 0.11). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were not found in any case or control using the enzyme immunoassay and were found in only one (1.7%) control using ELFA (p = 0.39). Rates of IgG seropositivity and high levels of anti-T. gondii antibodies were similar in cases and in controls regardless of their sex or age groups. The results do not support an association between T. gondii seropositivity and suicide. However, the statistical power of the test was low. Further research is necessary to confirm this lack of association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

11 pages, 590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Latent Toxoplasmosis and Depression in Clients of a Center for Assisted Reproduction

by Jana Hlaváčová, Jaroslav Flegr, Kateřina Fiurašková and Šárka Kaňková

Pathogens 2021, 10(8), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10081052 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3190

Abstract

Latent infection of the globally spread parasite Toxoplasma gondii in humans has been associated with changes in personality and behavior. Numerous studies have investigated the effect of toxoplasmosis on depression, but their results are inconsistent. Our study focused on the effect of latent [...] Read more.

Latent infection of the globally spread parasite Toxoplasma gondii in humans has been associated with changes in personality and behavior. Numerous studies have investigated the effect of toxoplasmosis on depression, but their results are inconsistent. Our study focused on the effect of latent toxoplasmosis on depression in men and women in association with their fertility. In 2016–2018, we recruited clients (677 men and 664 women) of the Center for Assisted Reproduction and asked them to complete a standardized Beck Depression Inventory-II. In women without fertility problems, we found higher depression scores in Toxoplasma-positive than in Toxoplasma-negative (p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 0.48). Toxoplasma-positive infertile men, on the other hand, had lower depression scores than Toxoplasma-negative infertile men (p ≤ 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.48). Our results are consistent with the previously described effects of latent toxoplasmosis, which seem to go in opposite directions regarding the effect on personality and behavior of men and women. Our results could be explained by gender-contrasting reactions to chronic stress associated with lifelong infection. This suggests that due to gender differences in the impact of latent toxoplasmosis, future studies ought to perform separate analyses for women and men. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

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8 pages, 404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toxoplasmosis Is More Frequent in Schizophrenia Patients Than in the General Population in Mexico and Is Not Associated with More Severe Course of Schizophrenia Measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

by María de la Luz Galván-Ramírez, Gabriela Navarro Machuca, Sergio Armando Covarrubias Castillo, Juan Carlos Benavides González, Laura Roció Rodríguez Pérez, Sergio Horacio Dueñas Jiménez and Judith Marcela Dueñas Jiménez

Pathogens 2021, 10(7), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10070820 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2018

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a disease, which was discovered in 1908, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii infects neuronal, glial, and muscle cells, and chronic infections are characterized by the presence of cysts, in the brain and muscle cells, formed by [...] Read more.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease, which was discovered in 1908, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii infects neuronal, glial, and muscle cells, and chronic infections are characterized by the presence of cysts, in the brain and muscle cells, formed by bradyzoites. T. gondii is capable of synthesizing L-DOPA, a precursor of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is key in the etiology of neuropsychological disorders such as schizophrenia. Previous studies have shown high levels of IgG Toxoplasma antibodies in schizophrenia patients. Many published studies show that the prevalence of toxoplasmosis is higher in schizophrenia patients. In this study, we aimed to identify the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in patients with schizophrenia and the relationships between, sociodemographic factors and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. A total of 27 schizophrenic patients were included and IgG anti-T. gondii was determined in serum samples by ELISA. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, sociodemographic factors were associated with seropositivity. We found that the prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies was 51.7%. In the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, statistical significant association (p = 0.024) was found in Item 13 which is related to motor retardation, however, the association turned non-significant after of correction for multiple tests or after of analyzed with a logistic regression p = 0.059, odds ratio (OR) = 2.316 with a 95% confidence interval [0.970 to 5.532]. Other association was not found between toxoplasmosis and others factors. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis on our population under study was significantly higher than that reported by general population or other group of Mexican schizophrenia patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

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9 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Suicidal Behavior in People with Alcohol Consumption

by Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Sergio Estrada-Martínez, Alma Rosa Pérez-Álamos, Isabel Beristain-García, Ángel Osvaldo Alvarado-Félix, Gustavo Alexis Alvarado-Félix and Antonio Sifuentes-Álvarez

Pathogens 2021, 10(6), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060734 - 10 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1966

Abstract

We determined the association between T. gondii infection and suicidal behavior in people with alcohol consumption. One-thousand four-hundred and twenty-three people with alcohol consumption were screened for suicidal behavior and tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using commercially available enzyme-linked [...] Read more.

We determined the association between T. gondii infection and suicidal behavior in people with alcohol consumption. One-thousand four-hundred and twenty-three people with alcohol consumption were screened for suicidal behavior and tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 34 of 224 (15.2%) individuals with suicidal ideation and in 118 (9.8%) of 1199 individuals without suicidal ideation (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.08–2.47; p = 0.01). Seropositivity to T. gondii was associated with suicidal ideation in women (OR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.33–3.78; p = 0.001) and in individuals aged ≤30 years (OR: 2.68; 95% CI: 1.22–5.87; p = 0.01) and >50 years (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.19–6.77; p = 0.01). Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 17 of 136 (12.5%) individuals with suicide attempts and in 135 (10.5%) of 1287 individuals without suicide attempts (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.71–2.08; p = 0.47). Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was associated with suicide attempts in women (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 0.99–3.55; p = 0.04). No association between anti-T. gondii IgM and suicidal ideation or suicide attempts was found. Results suggest that T. gondii infection is associated with suicidal behavior in people with alcohol consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

9 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Toxoplasma gondii Exposure and Suicidal Behavior in Patients Attending Primary Health Care Clinics

by Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Sergio Estrada-Martínez, Agar Ramos-Nevárez, Alma Rosa Pérez-Álamos, Isabel Beristain-García, Ángel Osvaldo Alvarado-Félix, Sandra Margarita Cerrillo-Soto, Antonio Sifuentes-Álvarez, Gustavo Alexis Alvarado-Félix, Carlos Alberto Guido-Arreola and Leandro Saenz-Soto

Pathogens 2021, 10(6), 677; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060677 - 30 May 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2137

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the association between suicidal behavior and T. gondii seroreactivity in 2045 patients attending primary care clinics. IgG antibodies against T. gondii were found in 37 (12.1%) out of 306 individuals with a history of suicidal ideation and in [...] Read more.

This study aimed to determine the association between suicidal behavior and T. gondii seroreactivity in 2045 patients attending primary care clinics. IgG antibodies against T. gondii were found in 37 (12.1%) out of 306 individuals with a history of suicidal ideation and in 134 (7.7%) of 1739 individuals without this history (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.11–2.42; p = 0.01). Seropositivity to T. gondii was associated with suicidal ideation in women (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.01–2.42; p = 0.03) and individuals aged ≤30 years (OR: 3.25; 95% CI: 1.53–6.88; p = 0.001). No association between the rates of high (>150 IU/mL) levels of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and suicidal ideation or suicide attempts was found. IgG antibodies against T. gondii were found in 22 of 185 (11.9%) individuals with a history of suicide attempts and in 149 (8.0%) of 1860 individuals without this history (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.96–2.49; p = 0.06). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was associated with suicide attempts in individuals aged 31–50 years (OR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.09–3.71; p = 0.02), and with more than three suicide attempts (OR: 4.02; 95% CI: 1.34–12.03; p = 0.008). Our results indicate that T. gondii exposure is associated with suicidal behavior among patients attending primary care clinics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Human Behaviour)

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