title: Toxoplasma gondii exposure in patients suffering from mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasma gondii infection has been associated with psychiatric diseases. However, there is no information about the link between this infection and patients with mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a case-control study with 149 psychiatric patients suffering from mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use and 149 age- and gender-matched control subjects of the general population. We searched for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in the sera of participants by means of commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Seroprevalence association with socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics in psychiatric patients was also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were present in 15 (10.1%) of 149 cases and in 14 (9.4%) of 149 controls (P=1.0). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in 11 (7.4%) of the 149 cases and in 16 (10.7%) of the 149 controls (P=0.31). No association of T. gondii exposure with socio-demographic characteristics of patients was found. Multivariate analysis of clinical and behavioral characteristics of cases showed that T. gondii seropositivity was positively associated with consumption of opossum meat (OR=10.78; 95% CI: 2.16-53.81; P=0.003) and soil flooring at home (OR=11.15; 95% CI: 1.58-78.92; P=0.01), and negatively associated with suicidal ideation (OR=0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.64; P=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use do not appear to represent an increased risk for T. gondii exposure. This is the first report of a positive association of T. gondii exposure with consumption of opossum meat. Further studies to elucidate the role of T. gondii infection in suicidal ideation and behavior are needed to develop optimal strategies for the prevention of infection with T. gondii.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000, Durango, Mexico. alvaradocosme@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Cosme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Mental Health "Dr. Miguel Vallebueno", Secretary of Health, Avenida Fidel Velázquez S/N, 34234, Durango, Mexico. david_carrillo_oropeza@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Oropeza
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000, Durango, Mexico. sandy_janet30@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sandy Janet
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pacheco-Vega
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000, Durango, Mexico. jhtinoco@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández-Tinoco
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000, Durango, Mexico. mi_sael_sal@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Misael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salcedo-Jaquez
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000, Durango, Mexico. lfsanguiano@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luis Francisco
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Anguiano
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Mental Health "Dr. Miguel Vallebueno", Secretary of Health, Avenida Fidel Velázquez S/N, 34234, Durango, Mexico. nallemd@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: María Nalleli
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Jurado
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing and Obstetrics, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Cuauhtémoc 223, 34000, Durango, Mexico. yssey_xela@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yesenia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alarcón-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Medical School, Hindenburgdamm 27, D-12203, Berlin, Germany. olitoxo@yahoo.com.|Current address: Chief Medical Officer, Medical and Scientific Affairs, Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA, 94588, USA. olitoxo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liesenfeld
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing and Obstetrics, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Cuauhtémoc 223, 34000, Durango, Mexico. beristaingarcia@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Beristain-García
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009893:Opossums / Q000469:parasitology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs