Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii as an Underrated Cause of Schizophrenia
Author(s): Abeer Said Abd El-Ghany Al-Antably and Maged Al-Adrousy GomaaIntroduction: Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disease of uncertain cause. It was assumed that schizophrenia is genetically determined. Toxoplasma gondii, a coccidian protozoon of the apicomplexa family, chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii is more frequent in individuals with schizophrenia than in psychiatrically healthy controls.
Aim of work: In the present study, the relationship between elevated Toxoplasma antibody and risk of adult schizophrenia was examined and comparing this with other identified schizophrenia risk factors.
Materials and methods: 100 patients with schizophrenia, 50 with depressive disorder, and 50 healthy volunteers were investigated to detect the seropositivity rate of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by ELISA and comparing this with other risk factors.
Results: Highest percent of Toxoplasma IgG positive cases was in schizophrenia group and it was double the depressive group and more than triple the control group. In depressive group female gender was high risk, and age group ≤ 40 twice more susceptible for development of depressive disorders.
In schizophrenia age group ≤ 40 was twice more susceptible for development of schizophrenia and male sex was a risk factor.
Conclusion: Toxoplasma have a role in development of schizophrenia especially in patients less than 40 years, this may help to reach a new approach in schizophrenia treatment.