title: Seroepidemiology of human Toxoplasma gondii infection in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. In immune competent individuals, Toxoplasma gondii preferentially infects tissues of central nervous systems, which might be an adding factor of certain psychiatric disorders. Congenital transmission of T. gondii during pregnancy has been regarded as a risk factor for the health of newborn infants. While in immune-compromised individuals, the parasite can cause life-threatening infections. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection among clinically healthy individuals and patients with psychiatric disorders in China and to identify the potential risk factors related to the vulnerability of infection in the population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 2634 healthy individuals and 547 patients with certain psychiatric disorders in Changchun and Daqing in the northeast, and in Shanghai in the south of China were examined respectively for the levels of anti-T. gondii IgG by indirect ELISA and a direct agglutination assay. Prevalence of T. gondii infection in the Chinese population in respect of gender, age, residence and health status was systematically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall anti-T. gondii IgG prevalence in the study population was 12.3%. In the clinically healthy population 12.5% was sero-positive and in the group with psychiatric disorders 11.3% of these patients were positive with anti-T. gondii IgG. A significant difference (P = 0.004) was found between male and female in the healthy population, the seroprevalence was 10.5% in men versus 14.3% in women. Furthermore, the difference of T. gondii infection rate between male and female in the 20-19 year's group was more obvious, with 6.4% in male population and 14.6% in female population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant higher prevalence of T. gondii infection was observed in female in the clinically healthy population. No correlation was found between T. gondii infection and psychiatric disorders in this study. Results suggest that women are more exposed to T. gondii infection than men in China. The data argue for deeper investigations for the potential risk factors that threat the female populations.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Xi An Da Lu 5333, Changchun 130062, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jigang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Xianying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huiji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ankarklev
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindh
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G