Background: A variety of neurologic symptoms, including in-coordination, tremors, head-shaking, and seizures, have been described in sheep, pigs, cattle, rabbits, and monkeys infected with T. gondii. Up to a third of the world's human population is estimated to carry a Toxoplasma infection.
Objective: Studying the possible association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and schizophrenia by using ELISA technique for detection of Toxoplasma IgG and IgM.
Subjects and Methods: The study was carried out at Psychiatry Department, Al-Azhar University Hospital (New-Damietta) from July 2014 to January 2015. The study included 100 schizophrenic patients. Another hundred normal persons of the same age and sex, without psychosis or symptoms and signs suggesting toxoplasmosis were selected as a control group. All persons were subjected to detailed history taking, laying stress on risk factors of toxoplasmosis (such as contact with cats, eating undercooked meat and contact with the soil) and manifestations of schizophrenia. The separated serum was stored frozen at (-20°C) until used for estimation of Toxoplasma Specific IgG and IgM titers.
Results: The prevalence of toxoplasma infection detected either by IgM or IgG was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients (28.0%, 58.0% respectively). Patients with toxoplasmosis were significantly younger, and incidence decreased with increased age. Risk factors and family history of schizophrenia were significantly higher in study group. Considering positive cases, those factors and family history were not significantly increased. Even eating undercooked meat and family history of schizophrenia were significantly lower.
Conclusion: Results of the present study shed light on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in schizophrenic patients and revealed that toxoplasmosis was significantly higher in those patients when compared to control group. Thus, schizophrenia may be linked to this infection. However, a future large scale randomized studies were needed to confirm this association.