Toxoplasma gondii Infection by Serological and Molecular Methods in
Schizophrenia Patients with and without Suicide Attempts: An
Age-Sex-Matched Case-Control Study
Abstract
Introduction: The opinion that latent T. gondii infection is having a
broadly asymptomatic projection has now been interrogated, in specific
due to the echoed association between the latent infection and an
elevated incidence of schizophrenia or even suicide attempts.
Notwithstanding conducted studies aimed to understand this feasible link
are restricted. Methods: In the present case-control study, we focused
to illuminate the relationship between the serological and molecular
presence of T. gondii and schizophrenia with or without the suicide
attempts by comparing it with healthy individuals. A total of 237
participants (117 in schizophrenia; 120 in healthy control) were
included in this study. Results: Overall, latent T. gondii infections
were found statistically higher in 63 (53.8%) of the 117 patients with
schizophrenia and in 33 (27.5%) of the 120 controls (p <
0.001). In schizophrenia patients, seroprevalence T. gondii was again
found to be statistically higher in suicide attempters (59.6%),
compared to no history of suicide attempts (48.3%) (p <
0.05). The molecular positivity rate of T. gondii DNA was higher in the
schizophrenia group, compared to the healthy control group (p
< 0.05), whereas the history of suicide attempts was not
statistically associated (p = 0.831) with T. gondii DNA positivity by
PCR. Conclusion: This case-control study enlightens additional
demonstration to the belief that T. gondii infection would be an
underlying component for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Regardless of the clarity results of this study, this supposition
warrants further endorsement.