title: Seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Borrelia species antibodies in patients with schizophrenia: a case-control study from western Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined IgG antibody seroprevalence and risk factors for anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Borrelia sp. in schizophrenic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study included 30 schizophrenic patients and 60 healthy individuals. Serological analyses were identified by using ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the case group the Toxoplasma seropositivity was 33.3% and Borrelia seropositivity was 13.3%, while in the control group the Toxoplasma positivity was 21.7% and Borrelia seropositivity was 15.0%. There was no significant difference with regard to seroprevalence between the groups (P = 0.232; P = 0.832, respectively). There was statistically significant difference between case and control groups related to hand and kitchen utensil hygiene after dealing with raw meat (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data showed the rate of Toxoplasma antibodies was higher in the case group, while the rate of Borrelia antibodies was higher in the control group. In both groups the high rates of seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii and Borrelia sp. is thought to be due to neglect of personal hygiene. The present study also is the first to examine the association between Borrelia sp. and schizophrenia. Further studies are needed to determine whether there is an association between Borrelia sp. and schizophrenia or not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University , Canakkale , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cevizci
authors.forename: Merve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akcali
authors.forename: Demet Gulec
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Oyekcin
authors.forename: Ozlem Oztürk
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Coskun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bakar
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001898:Borrelia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Borrelia species; Toxoplasma gondii; public health; schizophrenia; zoonosis