title: Toxoplasma gondii Exposure and the Risk of Schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder with a deeply destructive pathophysiology. There are evidences to indicate that infectious agents such as Toxoplasma gondii may play some roles in etiology of the disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to determine the association between T. gondii exposure and the risk of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  T. gondii IgG antibodies of 100 patients with schizophrenia as well as 200 healthy volunteers were assessed. The subjects also completed demographic questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analyses confirmed the significant differences between healthy women and ones with schizophrenia (P = 0.001) as well as between males and females with schizophrenia (P = 0.009) in IgG positivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study supported the contamination with T. gondii as a risk factor for schizophrenia just in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khademvatan
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Jasem
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saki
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Golestan Educational Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Niloufar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khajeddin
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology Departent, Shahed University, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izadi-Mazidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Golestan Educational Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beladi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Golestan Educational Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Behnaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shafiee
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Salehi
keywords: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Iran; Parasite; Schizophrenia; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis