title: Psychiatric disorders in toxoplasma seropositive patients--the CD8 connection.
abstract: Although the highest numbers of studies linking an infectious agent with schizophrenia has involved the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, the mechanistic underpinnings of this correlation has remained unaddressed. Incidentally, CD8 T cells, which play a pivotal role in mediating long-term immunity to Toxoplasma, are downregulated in schizophrenia patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that CD8 response is also impaired during chronic toxoplasmosis in murine models. In light of these new findings, in this article, we discuss the potential role of CD8 T cells in causing altered mental status in Toxoplasma seropositive schizophrenia patients.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Rajarshi
authors: R
authors: Bhadra
authors: Dustin A
authors: DA
authors: Cobb
authors: Louis M
authors: LM
authors: Weiss
authors: Imtiaz A
authors: IA
authors: Khan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000378:metabolism; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D004298:Dopamine