Sex-dependent toxoplasmosis-associated differences in testosterone concentration in humans.
Several lines of indirect evidence suggest that subjects with latent infection of the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii have a higher concentration of testosterone than uninfected controls. Here, we searched for direct evidence of latent toxoplasmosis-associated differences in testosterone concentration among a population of 174 female and 91 male students screened for Toxoplasma infection. We have found Toxoplasma-infected men to have a higher concentration of testosterone and Toxoplasma-infected women to have a lower concentration of testosterone than Toxoplasma-free controls. The opposite direction of the testosterone shift in men compared to women can explain the observed gender specificity of behavioural shifts in Toxoplasma-infected subjects.
Flegr
J
J
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Vinicná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic. flegr@cesnet.cz
Lindová
J
J
Kodym
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000469:parasitology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D013739:Testosterone