&lt;em&gt;Toxoplasma gondii&lt;/em&gt; Infection

Coccaro, Emil F.; Lee, Royce; Groër, Maureen; Can, Adem; Coussons-Read, Mary; Postolache, Teodor T.

doi:10.4088/jcp.14m09621

Cited by 63 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…We found that people who were T. gondii seropositive had more depressive symptoms, and T. gondii seropositivity was also associated with comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders and with GAD. While the most apparent contribution on the total disease burden attributed to T. gondii globally arises from congenital toxoplasmosis and toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised host (Opsteegh et al, 2015), there is growing evidence of its significance as a risk factor for several mental disorders (Sutterland et al, 2015) as well as aggression and impulsivity (Cook et al, 2015; Coccaro et al, 2016) and other health problems (Flegr and Escudero, 2016b). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii infection and common mental disorders in the Finnish general population

Suvisaari

Holm

Lindgren

et al. 2017

Journal of Affective Disorders

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Objective We investigated whether T. gondii seropositivity is associated with 12-month depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders and current depressive symptoms and whether inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) level, explains these associations. Method Health 2000 study (BRIF8901), conducted in years 2000–2001, is based on a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 30 and above, with 7112 participants and 88.6% response rate. DSM-IV depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and depressive symptoms with the Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI-21). We used logistic regression to investigate the association of T. gondii seropositivity with mental disorders and linear regression with BDI-21 scores. Results T. gondii seroprevalence was significantly associated with 12-month generalized anxiety disorder but not with other anxiety, depressive or alcohol use disorders. T. gondii seropositivity was associated with higher BDI-21 scores (beta 0.56, 95% CI 0.12–1.00, P=0.013) and with having a comorbid depressive and anxiety disorder (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.16–2.97, P=0.010). Higher CRP levels were associated with these outcomes and with T. gondii seropositivity, but adjusting for CRP did not change the effect of T. gondii seropositivity. Limitations cross-sectional study design with no information on the timing of T. gondii infection. Conclusion T. gondii seropositivity is associated with generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders, which is not mediated by inflammation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii infection and common mental disorders in the Finnish general population

Suvisaari

Holm

Lindgren

et al. 2017

Journal of Affective Disorders

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“…In addition, T. gondii has been linked to suicidal and aggressive behavior in patients with recurrent mood disorders and in younger patients with schizophrenia [48,50,71]. In a survey conducted in 20 European countries, a significant association between T. gondii seropositivity and national suicide rates was observed [72].…”

Section: Relationship Between Toxoplasma Gondii and Bipolar Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Toxoplasma gondii a Trigger of Bipolar Disorder?

et al. 2017

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Toxoplasma gondii, a ubiquitous intracellular parasite, has a strong tropism for the brain tissue, where it forms intracellular cysts within the neurons and glial cells, establishing a chronic infection. Although latent toxoplasmosis is generally assumed to be asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it is now clear that it can induce behavioral manipulations in mice and infected humans. Moreover, a strong relation has emerged in recent years between toxoplasmosis and psychiatric disorders. The link between T. gondii and schizophrenia has been the most widely documented; however, a significant association with bipolar disorder (BD) and suicidal/aggressive behaviors has also been detected. T. gondii may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders affecting neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, that are implicated in the emergence of psychosis and behavioral Toxoplasma-induced abnormalities, and inducing brain inflammation by the direct stimulation of inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system. Besides this, there is increasing evidence for a prominent role of immune dysregulation in psychosis and BD. The aim of this review is to describe recent evidence suggesting a link between Toxoplasma gondii and BD, focusing on the interaction between immune responses and this infectious agent in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric symptoms.

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“…TOXO's effect on the human brain is most strongly suggested by the association between TOXO and schizophrenia (Scz) as confirmed in several meta-analyses (Sutterland et al 2015; Torrey and Yolken 2007; Torrey and Yolkin 2012). Latent TOXO infection is also associated with a heightened risk for bipolar disorder, suicidal self-directed violence, aggression, and impulsivity (Arling et al 2009; Coccaro et al 2016; Cook et al 2015: Hamdani et al 2013; Okusaga et al 2011; Pearce et al 2012; Pedersen et al 2012). However, not all psychiatric diagnoses are associated with TOXO.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and acoustic startle response in an inner-city population

Massa

Duncan

Jovanović

et al. 2017

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

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Toxoplasma gondii (TOXO) is a neuroinvasive protozoan parasite that induces the formation of persistent cysts in mammalian brains. It infects approximately 1.1 million people in the United States annually. Latent TOXO infection is implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia (Scz), and has been correlated with modestly impaired cognition. The acoustic startle response (ASR) is a reflex seen in all mammals. It is mediated by a simple subcortical circuit, and provides an indicator of neural function. We previously reported the association of TOXO with slowed acoustic startle latency, an index of neural processing speed, in a sample of schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The alterations in neurobiology with TOXO latent infection may not be specific to schizophrenia. Therefore we examined TOXO in relation to acoustic startle in an urban, predominately African American, population with mixed psychiatric diagnoses, and healthy controls. Physiological and diagnostic data along with blood samples were collected from 364 outpatients treated at an inner-city hospital. TOXO status was determined with an ELISA assay for TOXO-specific IgG. A discrete titer was calculated based on standard cut-points as an indicator of seropositivity, and the TOXO-specific IgG concentration served as serointensity. A series of linear regression models were used to assess the association of TOXO seropositivity and serointensity with ASR magnitude and latency in models adjusting for demographics and psychiatric diagnoses (PTSD, major depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, substance abuse). ASR magnitude was 11.5% higher in TOXO seropositive subjects compared to seronegative individuals (p=0.01). This effect was more pronounced in models with TOXO serointensity that adjusted for sociodemographic covariates (F=7.41, p=.0068; F=10.05, p=0.0017), and remained significant when psychiatric diagnoses were stepped into the models. TOXO showed no association with startle latency (t=0.49, p=0.63) in an unadjusted model, nor was TOXO associated with latency in models that included demographic factors. After stepping in individual psychiatric disorders, we found a significant association of latency with a diagnosis of PTSD (F=5.15, p=0.024), but no other psychiatric diagnoses, such that subjects with PTSD had longer startle latency. The mechanism by which TOXO infection is associated with high startle magnitude is not known, but possible mechanisms include TOXO cyst burden in the brain, parasite recrudescence, or molecular mimicry of a host epitope by TOXO. Future studies will focus on the neurobiology underlying the effects of latent TOXO infection as a potential inroad to the development of novel treatment targets for psychiatric disease.

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<em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> Infection

Cited by 63 publications

References 48 publications

Toxoplasma gondii infection and common mental disorders in the Finnish general population

Toxoplasma gondii infection and common mental disorders in the Finnish general population

Is Toxoplasma gondii a Trigger of Bipolar Disorder?

Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and acoustic startle response in an inner-city population

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