title: Toxoplasma gondiiexposure and Parkinson's disease: a case-control study.
abstract: To determine the association betweenToxoplasma gondiiinfection and Parkinson's disease and to investigate whetherT. gondiiseropositivity is associated with the general characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  
  Case-control study.
  
  
  
  Cases and controls were enrolled in Durango City, Mexico.
  
  
  
  65 patients with Parkinson's disease and 195 age- and gender-matched control subjects without Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  
  Serum samples of participants were analysed for anti-T. gondiiIgG and IgM antibodies by commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Prevalence ofT. gondiiDNA was determined in seropositive subjects using PCR. The association between clinical data and infection was examined by bivariate analysis.
  
  
  
  Anti-T. gondiiIgG antibodies were found in 6/65 cases (9.2%) and in 21/195 controls (10.8%) (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.32 to 2.18; p=0.81). The frequency of high (>150 IU/mL) antibody levels was similar among cases and controls (p=0.34). None of the anti-T. gondiiIgG positive cases and four of the anti-T. gondiiIgG positive controls had anti-T. gondiiIgM antibodies (p=0.54). The prevalence ofT. gondiiDNA was comparable in seropositive cases and controls (16.7% and 25%, respectively; p=1.0). Seroprevalence ofT. gondiiinfection was associated with a young age onset of disease (p=0.03), high Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale scores (p=0.04) and depression (p=0.02). Seropositivity toT. gondiiinfection was lower in patients treated with pramipexole than in patients without this treatment (p=0.01). However, none of the associations remained significant after Bonferroni correction.
  
  
  
  The results do not support an association betweenT. gondiiinfection and Parkinson's disease. However,T. gondiiinfection might have an influence on certain symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Further research to elucidate the role ofT. gondiiexposure on Parkinson's disease is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Biomedical Research Laboratory, Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Cosme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Edna Madai
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Méndez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Salas-Pacheco
authors.affiliation: General Hospital "450", Secretary of Health, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Ángel
authors.initials: LÁ
authors.lastname: Ruano-Calderón
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández-Tinoco
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento y Sueño, Hospital General Dr Manuel Gea González, Ciudad de México, México, Mexico.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arias-Carrión
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Francisco
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Anguiano
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Francisco Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Castellanos-Juárez
authors.affiliation: Institute for Scientific Research "Dr. Roberto Rivera-Damm", Juárez University of Durango State, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ada Agustina
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sandoval-Carrillo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Medical School, Hindenburgdamm 27, Berlin, Germany.|Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Pleasanton, California, USA.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liesenfeld
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Agar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos-Nevárez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000077487:Pramipexole; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000077487:Pramipexole
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; Toxoplasma gondii; case-control study; infection; seroprevalence