Seroprevalence and correlation between Toxoplasmosis and Schizophrenic patients in Sulaimania city, Iraq

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis; both sexes are affected by the parasite. The main severe symptoms of toxoplasmosis are the danger of infection of the CNS. Early exposure to multiple agents of infections was correlated with the subsequent development of schizophrenia.

In this study two laboratory Serodiagnosis tests (LAT and ELISA) were used on a total of 45 sera samples (20 females and 25 males) of schizophrenic patients that were collected from the mental health care unit, Sulaimania teaching hospital. The study showed that 38(84%) of cases were positive for anti-Toxoplasma and 7(16%) of cases were negative for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by LAT while 28(62%) were tested by the ELISA method showing seropositive results (IgG) and 17(38%) showing seronegative results. Such discrepancies between schizophrenic patients and control were significant in both studies. (Chi-square) (P = 0.01)

Although 14(35 %) cases were positive for the anti-toxoplasma antibody by LAT in control cases, and ELISA-IgG was positive for 13(33%). This study indicates that prevalence of schizophrenia in patients with antibody to Toxoplasma gondii is higher in comparison to the control cases, it’s also possible that toxoplasma infections increase the likelihood of schizophrenia.

This study is achieved to investigate or observe the correlation between the Toxoplasmosis and behaviour mode of patients in Sulaimania city.