Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in oral cancer patients in China: a case–control prospective study

Abstract

Over the recent years, potential associations between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and cancer risk have attracted a lot of attention. Nevertheless, the association between T. gondii infection and oral cancer remains relatively unexplored. We performed a case-control study of 861 oral cancer patients and 861 control subjects from eastern China with the aim to detect antibodies to T. gondii by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in these patients. The results showed that oral cancer patients (21.72%, 187/861) had a significantly higher seroprevalence than control subjects (8.25%, 71/861) (P < 0.001). Among them, 144 (16.72%) oral cancer patients and 71 (8.25%) control subjects were positive for IgG antibodies to T. gondii, while 54 (6.27%) oral cancer patients and 9 (1.05%) controls were positive for IgM antibodies to T. gondii. In addition, multiple logistic analysis showed that T. gondii infection in oral cancer patients was associated with blood transfusion history, keeping cats at home, and oyster consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study that provided a serological evidence of an association between T. gondii infection and oral cancer patients. However, further studies are necessary to elucidate the role of T. gondii in oral cancer patients.

Increased Risk of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Patients with Colorectal Cancer in Eastern China: Seroprevalence, Risk Factors, and a Case–Control Study

“…However, in immunocompromised patients, such as those with a tumor, T. gondii may cause a serious, life-threatening infection. Several studies demonstrate a latent relationship between toxoplasmosis and malignancy, including with brain and oral cancers [ 7 – 9 ]. In recent studies, patients with hematologic malignancies had higher seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…Humans can develop toxoplasmosis when they ingest oocysts shed by cats or tissue cysts in other mammals [ 4 ]. Many factors are associated with toxoplasmosis in cancer patients, including contact with pigs or cats, consumption of raw or undercooked meat, and exposure to soil [ 9 , 10 , 13 ]. Moreover, histories of blood transfusion and chemotherapy are also risk factors for T .…”

“…Moreover, histories of blood transfusion and chemotherapy are also risk factors for T . gondii infection in patients with malignancy [ 9 , 14 ]. However, in patients with CRC, data on T .…”

Toxoplasma gondii infection in children with lymphoma in Eastern China: seroprevalence, risk factors and case–control studies

“…Several studies have demonstrated that the positive T. gondii antibodies increased with age in healthy children, but in young patients with malignancy, T. gondii is likely to occur [5, 15, 18]. This could be attributed to the fact that younger patients with malignancy may be immunocompromised and are inclined towards the T. gondii infection [5, 6]. However, the reasons that younger ML patients were susceptible to T. gondii infection have not been well explained, thereby necessitating further investigation.…”

“…However, for the immunocompromised host, the cysts can infect various organs, such as the liver, spleen and nervous system, which, in turn, cause severe symptoms as well as death [3,4]. Currently, T. gondii infection in patients with malignancy is of great concerns, and thus, the correlations between T. gondii infection and malignancy have been evaluated [5][6][7].…”