title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Sweden, Estonia and Iceland.
abstract: Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii which infects up to one-third of the world human population. Toxoplasmosis in neonates and immunocompromised patients can lead to severe disease and death. We investigated the prevalence and risk factors for T. gondii infection in Iceland, Sweden and Estonia, and tested the hypothesis that T. gondii infection causes systemic inflammation and protects against atopy. Blood samples were collected from 1277 randomly selected subjects. The presence of T. gondii IgG antibodies was determined by an ELISA method and levels of Hs-CRP by immunoturbidimetric assay. The prevalence of T. gondii antibodies was 54.9% in Tartu, 23% in Uppsala and 9.8% in Reykjavik (p<0.0001). The risk of positive T. gondii antibodies increased with the number of siblings and with age in Sweden. T. gondii infection was associated with asthma related symptoms and increased Hs-CRP (p = 0.02). No association was found with IgE-sensitization and lung function. We concluded that risk factors for T. gondii infection suggested that soil exposure was 1 of the mechanisms in all 3 countries and a meat-associated infection route is a risk in Sweden.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland.
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birgisdóttir
authors.forename: Hulda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asbjörnsdottir
authors.forename: Elísabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gislason
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: Isleifur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olafsson
authors.forename: Thorarinn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gislason
authors.forename: Rain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jogi
authors.forename: Bjarni
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thjodleifsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology; D002415:Cats; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002097:C-Reactive Protein