title: Toxoplasma gondii infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a northern Mexican population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii may cause liver disease. However, the impact of the infection in patients suffering from liver disease is unknown. Therefore, through a case-control study design, 75 adult liver disease patients attending a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico, and 150 controls from the general population of the same region matched by gender, age, and residence were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the study subjects were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and IgG titers did not differ significantly in patients (10/75; 13.3%) and controls (16/150; 10.7%). Two (2.7%) patients and 5 (3.3%) controls had anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies (P = 0.57). Seropositivity to Toxoplasma did not show any association with the diagnosis of liver disease. In contrast, seropositivity to Toxoplasma in patients was associated with consumption of venison and quail meat. Toxoplasma seropositivity was more frequent in patients with reflex impairment (27.8%) than in patients without this impairment (8.8%) (P = 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that Toxoplasma seropositivity in patients was associated with consumption of sheep meat (OR = 8.69; 95% CI: 1.02-73.71; P = 0.04) and rabbit meat (OR = 4.61; 95% CI: 1.06-19.98; P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seropositivity to Toxoplasma was comparable among liver disease patients and controls. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the association of Toxoplasma with liver disease. Consumption of venison, and rabbit, sheep, and quail meats may warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Dgo, Mexico. alvaradocosme@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Cosme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Esquivel
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Torres-Berumen
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estrada-Martínez
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liesenfeld
authors.forename: Miguel Francisco
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mercado-Suarez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M