title: Seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibody in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Schizophrenia is a pervasive neuropsychiatric disease of unknown cause. Previous studies have reported that toxoplasmosis may be a possible cause of schizophrenia. To ascertain possible relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia, a cross sectional study, employing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to study the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody in schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, demographic data analysis from schizophrenic patients were analysed to associate toxoplasmosis with schizophrenia. A total of 288 serum samples from schizophrenic patients (n=144) and psychiatrically healthy volunteers (n=144) were recruited in this study. Interestingly, a significant result in the serointensity rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (> 60 IU/mL) in schizophrenic patients (61.1%) was demonstrated as compared to psychiatrically healthy volunteers (40.8%) (X² = 4.236, p < 0.050). However, there was no significant difference between the seropositivity rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody between the two groups. Analysis from demographic data revealed that the seropositivity rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody in schizophrenic patients was significantly associated with age group of more than 40 years old (p=0.007) and between ethnic (p=0.046). Nevertheless, no significant association between seropositivity rate of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody with gender (p=0.897), duration of illness (p=0.344) and family history of schizophrenia (p=0.282) in these patients. Thus, this finding is essential as a preliminary data in Malaysia to establish the association between T. gondii and schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. emy_osman@yahoo.ca
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Emelia
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Amal
authors.forename: Z Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Ruzanna
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahida
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Azzubair
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noor Aadila
authors.forename: N A M
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Siti
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Aisah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G