title: High Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity among Brain Tumor Patients in Korea.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that can modulate the environment of the infected host. An unfavorable environment modulated by T. gondii in the brain includes tumor microenvironment. Literature has suggested that T. gondii infection is associated with development of brain tumors. However, in Korea, epidemiological data regarding this correlation have been scarce. In this study, in order to investigate the relationship between T. gondii infection and brain tumor development, we investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii among 93 confirmed brain tumor patients (various histological types, including meningioma and astrocytoma) in Korea using ELISA. The results revealed that T. gondii seropositivity among brain tumor patients (18.3%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher compared with that of healthy controls (8.6%). The seropositivity of brain tumor patients showed a significant age-tendency, i.e., higher in younger age group, compared with age-matched healthy controls (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study supports the close relationship between T. gondii infection and incidence of brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors.forename: Bong-Kwang
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.|Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07653, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.|Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07653, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaeeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.|Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.|Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07653, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: ELISA; Toxoplasma gondii; brain tumor; seroprevalence