The schizophrenia and Toxoplasma gondii connection: infectious, immune or both?
BACKGROUND
Recent research has suggested a possible link between toxoplasmic agents and schizophrenia. We aimed to assess this by measuring Toxoplasma gondii-associated antibodies in schizophrenia patients and controls


METHODS
We used a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit to measure the level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies in serum samples from schizophrenia patients (n=40) and from a group of non-schizophrenic control subjects (n=37)


RESULTS
Among schizophrenic patients, 16 (40%) showed IgG seropositivity and two (5%) showed IgM seropositivity. Among the control group, five (13.5%) were found have IgG seropositivity and one (2.7%) showed IgM seropositivity. In our study we found that IgG T gondii antibodies were significantly higher in schizophrenia patients compared with controls


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the theory that toxoplasmic agents may have a role in the aetiology of schizophrenia.
Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kocaeli, Turkey. guldensonmez@hotmail.com
Gulden Sonmez
GS
Tamer
Devrim
D
Dundar
Irem
I
Yalug
Seyda
S
Caliskan
Suleyman
S
Yazar
Ahmet
A
Aker
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M