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Yanes KJO, Guanzon NA, Azevedo R, Wheeler DG, Gandhi SP, Lodoen MB. Toxoplasma gondii Infection of Alzheimer's Disease Mice Reduces Brain Amyloid Density Globally and Regionally. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:S165-S172. [PMID: 39255396 PMCID: PMC11385590 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii infection of Alzheimer's disease model mice decreases amyloid β plaques. We aimed to determine if there is a brain regional difference in amyloid β reduction in the brains of T. gondii-infected compared to control mice. METHOD Three-month-old 5xFAD (AD model) mice were injected with T. gondii or with phosphate-buffered saline as a control. Intact brains were harvested at 6 weeks postinfection, optically cleared using iDISCO+, and brain-wide amyloid burden was visualized using volumetric light-sheet imaging. Amyloid signal was quantified across each brain and computationally mapped to the Allen Institute Brain Reference Atlas to determine amyloid density in each region. RESULTS A brain-wide analysis of amyloid in control and T. gondii-infected 5xFAD mice revealed that T. gondii infection decreased amyloid burden in the brain globally as well as in the cortex and hippocampus, and many daughter regions. Daughter regions that showed reduced amyloid burden included the prelimbic cortex, visual cortex, and retrosplenial cortex. The olfactory tubercle, a region known to have increased monocytes following T. gondii infection, also showed reduced amyloid after infection. CONCLUSIONS T. gondii infection of AD mice reduces amyloid burden in a brain region-specific manner that overlaps with known regions of T. gondii infection and peripheral immune cell infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J O Yanes
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Melissa B Lodoen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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Rensch P, Postolache TT, Dalkner N, Stross T, Constantine N, Dagdag A, Wadhawan A, Mohyuddin F, Lowry CA, Joseph J, Birner A, Fellendorf FT, Finner A, Lenger M, Maget A, Painold A, Queissner R, Schmiedhofer F, Smolle S, Tmava-Berisha A, Reininghaus EZ. Toxoplasma gondii IgG serointensity and cognitive function in bipolar disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2024; 12:31. [PMID: 39179937 PMCID: PMC11343948 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-024-00353-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alongside affective episodes, cognitive dysfunction is a core symptom of bipolar disorder. The intracellular parasite T. gondii has been positively associated with both, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and poorer cognitive performance, across diagnostic boundaries. This study aims to investigate the association between T. gondii seropositivity, serointensity, and cognitive function in an euthymic sample of bipolar disorder. METHODS A total of 76 participants with bipolar disorder in remission were tested for T. gondii-specific IgG and IgM antibodies and for cognitive performance using neuropsychological test battery. Cognitive parameters were categorized into three cognitive domains (attention and processing speed, verbal memory, and executive function). Statistical analysis of associations between continuous indicators of cognitive function as dependent variables in relationship to T. gondii, included multivariate analyses of co-variance for seropositivity, and partial correlations with IgG serointensity in IgG seropositives. All analyses were controlled for age and premorbid IQ. RESULTS In seropositives (n = 27), verbal memory showed significant inverse partial correlations with IgG antibody levels (short delay free recall (r=-0.539, p = 0.005), long delay free recall (r=-0.423, p = 0.035), and immediate recall sum trial 1-5 (r=-0.399, p = 0.048)). Cognitive function did not differ between IgG seropositive and seronegative individuals in any of the cognitive domains (F (3,70) = 0.327, p = 0.806, n = 76). IgM positives (n = 7) were too few to be analyzed. CONCLUSIONS This investigation is the first to show an association between T. gondii IgG serointensity and memory function in a well-diagnosed bipolar disorder sample. It adds to the existing literature on associations between latent T. gondii infection and cognition in bipolar disorder, while further research is needed to confirm and expand our findings, eliminate potential sources of bias, and establish cause-effect relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Rensch
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Teodor T Postolache
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Center for Research on Aging, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Aurora, CO, USA
- VISN 5 Capitol Health Care Network Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nina Dalkner
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Tatjana Stross
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Niel Constantine
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Aline Dagdag
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Abhishek Wadhawan
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Farooq Mohyuddin
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Joshua Joseph
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Armin Birner
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Frederike T Fellendorf
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Alexander Finner
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Melanie Lenger
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Alexander Maget
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Annamaria Painold
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Robert Queissner
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Franziska Schmiedhofer
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Stefan Smolle
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Adelina Tmava-Berisha
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Eva Z Reininghaus
- Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Yang L, Wang B, Wu S, Yang Z, Xin Z, Zheng S, Zou W, Zhang C, Chen J, Peng H. Population-based cohort study of Toxoplasma gondii P22 antibody positivity correlation with anxiety. J Affect Disord 2024; 359:41-48. [PMID: 38729222 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric and behavioral conditions. This research aims to explore the potential correlation between T. gondii antibody positivity and neuropsychiatric disorders through a comprehensive prospective cohort study. METHODS The cohort study utilized the UK Biobank database to recruit 8814 individuals with no prior diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to investigate the associations between T. gondii P22 antibody seropositivity (P22+) and the development of various types of neuropsychiatric disorders. RESULTS Of the population, 14.65 % tested positive for T. gondii P22 antibody. The presence of T. gondii P22 antibody showed a slight inverse association with epilepsy (HR: 0.28; 95 % CI: 0.10-0.77), while it was positively associated with an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders (HR: 1.38; 95 % CI: 1.04-1.83). LIMITATIONS The study sample consisted mostly of white British individuals aged 40 to 69 years old. Although we adjusted for potential confounders, there may be other unmeasured and residual confounding factors that could have influenced our reported associations. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggested an increased risk of anxiety and potential evidence of epilepsy associated with T. gondii P22+. However, our analysis did not reveal an increased risk of several other neuropsychiatric conditions including Alzheimer's disease, dementia, substance abuse disorders, depression, and neurodegenerative disorders, associated with P22 antibody seropositivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Biyun Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Shuizhen Wu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Zihan Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Zixuan Xin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Shuyu Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Weihao Zou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Jiating Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China
| | - Hongjuan Peng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China, Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province 510515, PR China.
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Yang L, Wang B, Yang Z, Zheng S, Xin Z, Wu S, Zou W, Peng H. Toxoplasma gondii infection positively associated with schizophrenia: Evidences from UK Biobank cohort and case-controlled studies. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 175:243-250. [PMID: 38749298 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an opportunistic pathogen affecting about 1/3 of world population. While often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it can lead to severe toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients. Recent research has unveiled a potential link between T. gondii infection and neuropsychiatric diseases. We implemented both a cohort study and a case control study to further identify this association. In the cohort study, we analyzed data from the UK Biobank database, which included 8814 individuals tested for T. gondii SAG1 antibodies and free of neuropsychiatric disorders at baseline. Among them, 22.52% (n = 1985) tested positive for SAG1 antibody. Over an average follow-up period of 12.26 years, Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between the SAG1 seropositivity at baseline and the incidence of schizophrenia (HR: 5.89; 95% CI: 1.69-20.53). In our case-control study, 239 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 455 healthy individuals were involved. Using the modified agglutination test (MAT) to detect T. gondii antibodies, logistic regression analysis showed a higher prevalence of T. gondii infection among schizophrenia patients (10.04%) compared to healthy controls (3.74%). T. gondii infection emerged as a significant risk factor for schizophrenia (OR: 3.33; 95% CI: 1.68-6.61). However, our investigations did not reveal a robust association between T. gondii infection and other neuropsychiatric conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, dementia, anxiety, depression, neurodegenerative disorders, and peripheral neurological disorders such as neurological and plexus disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515.
| | - Biyun Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515; Department of Biobank, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Zihan Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515
| | - Shuyu Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515
| | - Zixuan Xin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515
| | - Shuizhen Wu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515
| | - Weihao Zou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515
| | - Hongjuan Peng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, 1023-1063 South Shatai Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. 510515.
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Hasan MF, Harun AB, Hossain D, Bristi SZT, Uddin AHMM, Karim MR. Toxoplasmosis in animals and humans: a neglected zoonotic disease in Bangladesh. J Parasit Dis 2024; 48:189-200. [PMID: 38840887 PMCID: PMC11147975 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-024-01664-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a zoonotic disease that affects a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The parasite undergoes both sexual and asexual reproduction in intermediate hosts (humans and animals) and definitive hosts (cats). Transmission in humans occurs through consuming oocyst-contaminated water, fruits, vegetables, and raw or undercooked meats. In Bangladesh, several factors contribute to an increased risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. The parasite is reported to cause diseases among livestock such as goats and sheep in this country, and it has also been associated with some human illnesses. Toxoplasmosis prevalence varies significantly worldwide, with developing countries like Bangladesh experiencing higher rates. Diagnostic methods include both conventional non-DNA-based tests and molecular detection techniques, while treatment options involve using antiparasitic drugs like sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. To control toxoplasmosis, essential steps include improving sanitation, promoting safe food handling, and educating the public about risks related to cat ownership and undercooked meat consumption. Implementing prenatal screening and treatment is also important. With the growing popularity of pet ownership in urban areas, it becomes essential to emphasize the veterinary and public health significance of toxoplasmosis in Bangladesh. This article comprehensively reviews various aspects of toxoplasmosis, with a specific focus on the situation in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Farhan Hasan
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706 Bangladesh
| | - Anas Bin Harun
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706 Bangladesh
| | - Delower Hossain
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, 1207 Bangladesh
| | - Sabiha Zarin Tasnim Bristi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, 4225 Bangladesh
| | - A. H. M. Musleh Uddin
- Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3100 Bangladesh
| | - Md Robiul Karim
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706 Bangladesh
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Nayeri T, Sarvi S, Daryani A. Effective factors in the pathogenesis of Toxoplasmagondii. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31558. [PMID: 38818168 PMCID: PMC11137575 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite in humans and animals. It infects about 30 % of the human population worldwide and causes potentially fatal diseases in immunocompromised hosts and neonates. For this study, five English-language databases (ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) and the internet search engine Google Scholar were searched. This review was accomplished to draw a global perspective of what is known about the pathogenesis of T. gondii and various factors affecting it. Virulence and immune responses can influence the mechanisms of parasite pathogenesis and these factors are in turn influenced by other factors. In addition to the host's genetic background, the type of Toxoplasma strain, the routes of transmission of infection, the number of passages, and different phases of parasite life affect virulence. The identification of virulence factors of the parasite could provide promising insights into the pathogenesis of this parasite. The results of this study can be an incentive to conduct more intensive research to design and develop new anti-Toxoplasma agents (drugs and vaccines) to treat or prevent this infection. In addition, further studies are needed to better understand the key agents in the pathogenesis of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooran Nayeri
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Song G, Zhao Q, Chen H, Li M, Zhang Z, Qu Z, Yang C, Lin X, Ma W, Standlee CR. Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive functioning in older adults: an analysis of cross-sectional data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e071513. [PMID: 38448067 PMCID: PMC10916126 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-071513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study sought to examine the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive function in older adults. DESIGN An observational cross-sectional study. SETTING The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study took place at participants' homes and mobile examination centres. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2956 older adults aged 60 and above from the NHANES from 2011 to 2014 were included in the study. Exposure of interest: participants had serum Toxoplasma gondii antibody analysed in the laboratory. A value>33 IU/mL was categorised as seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii infection; <27 IU/mL was categorised as seronegative for Toxoplasma gondii infection. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Cognitive tests included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word Learning subtest (CERAD-WL) for immediate and delayed memory, the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). RESULTS About half of the 2956 participants (mean age 70.0) were female (51.0%), non-Hispanic White (48.3%), and completed some college or above (48.3%). A total of 703 participants were positive for Toxoplasma gondii infection (23.8%). Adjusted linear regression showed that compared with participants with negative Toxoplasma gondii infection, those with positive Toxoplasma gondii infection had lower CERAD-WL immediate memory (beta (β) -0.16, 95% CI -0.25 to -0.07), CERAD-WL delayed memory (β -0.15, 95% CI -0.24 to -0.06), AFT (β -0.15, 95% CI -0.24 to -0.06), DSST (β -0.34, 95% CI -0.43 to -0.26), and global cognition (β -0.24, 95% CI -0.32 to -0.16) z-scores after controlling for the covariates. CONCLUSIONS Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity is associated with worse immediate and delayed verbal learning, language proficiency, executive functioning, processing speed, sustained attention, working memory, as well as global cognition in older adults. Public health measures aiming at preventing Toxoplasma gondii infection may help preserve cognitive functioning in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Song
- College of Sciences and Technology, University of Houston Downtown, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Qingxia Zhao
- School of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- School of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Li
- Kentucky Department for Public Health, Infectious Disease Branch, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Qu
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Chao Yang
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xuechun Lin
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weixia Ma
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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Chen A, Li Q, Huang Y, Li Y, Chuang YN, Hu X, Guo S, Wu Y, Guo Y, Bian J. Feasibility of Identifying Factors Related to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia in Real-World Data. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.10.24302621. [PMID: 38405723 PMCID: PMC10889002 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.10.24302621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
A comprehensive view of factors associated with AD/ADRD will significantly aid in studies to develop new treatments for AD/ADRD and identify high-risk populations and patients for prevention efforts. In our study, we summarized the risk factors for AD/ADRD by reviewing existing meta-analyses and review articles on risk and preventive factors for AD/ADRD. In total, we extracted 477 risk factors in 10 categories from 537 studies. We constructed an interactive knowledge map to disseminate our study results. Most of the risk factors are accessible from structured Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and clinical narratives show promise as information sources. However, evaluating genomic risk factors using RWD remains a challenge, as genetic testing for AD/ADRD is still not a common practice and is poorly documented in both structured and unstructured EHRs. Considering the constantly evolving research on AD/ADRD risk factors, literature mining via NLP methods offers a solution to automatically update our knowledge map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aokun Chen
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Yongqiu Li
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Yu-Neng Chuang
- Department of Computer Science, George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005
| | - Xia Hu
- Department of Computer Science, George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005
| | - Serena Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Yonghui Wu
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Yi Guo
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Jiang Bian
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1889 Museum Rd, Suite 7000, Gainesville, FL 32610
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Yoon C, Ham YS, Gil WJ, Yang CS. Exploring the potential of Toxoplasma gondii in drug development and as a delivery system. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:289-300. [PMID: 38297164 PMCID: PMC10907749 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01165-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases are various groups of conditions that result in immune system disorders and increased cancer risk. Despite the identification of causative cytokines and pathways, current clinical treatment for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is limited. In addition, immune-mediated inflammatory disease treatment can increase the risk of cancer. Several previous studies have demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii manipulates the immune response by inhibiting or stimulating cytokines, suggesting the potential for controlling and maintaining a balanced immune system. Additionally, T. gondii also has the unique characteristic of being a so-called "Trojan horse" bacterium that can be used as a drug delivery system to treat regions that have been resistant to previous drug delivery therapies. In this study, we reviewed the potential of T. gondii in drug development and as a delivery system through current research on inflammation-regulating mechanisms in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanjin Yoon
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
- Institute of Natural Science & Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
| | - Yu Seong Ham
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
- Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
| | - Woo Jin Gil
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
- Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Ansan, 15588, South Korea
| | - Chul-Su Yang
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea.
- Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Ansan, 15588, South Korea.
- Department of Medicinal and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, South Korea.
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10
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Liu S, Yan Z, Peng Y, Liu Y, Li Y, Xu D, Gong Y, Cui Z, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Wang D, Pan W, Yang X. Lentinan has a beneficial effect on cognitive deficits induced by chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:454. [PMID: 38093309 PMCID: PMC10717010 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is increasingly considered a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is only limited information on the development of drugs for T. gondii infection. Lentinan from Lentinula edodes is a bioactive ingredient with the potential to enhance anti-infective immunity. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of lentinan on T. gondii-associated cognitive deficits in mice. METHODS A chronic T. gondii infection mouse model was established by administering 10 cysts of T. gondii by gavage. Lentinan was intraperitoneally administered 2 weeks before infection. Behavioral tests, RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and Golgi-Cox staining were performed to assess the effect of lentinan on cognitive deficits and neuropathology in vivo. In vitro, the direct and indirect effects of lentinan on the proliferation of T. gondii tachyzoites were evaluated in the absence and presence of BV-2 cells, respectively. RESULTS Lentinan prevented T. gondii-induced cognitive deficits and altered the transcriptome profile of genes related to neuroinflammation, microglial activation, synaptic function, neural development and cognitive behavior in the hippocampus of infected mice. Moreover, lentinan reduced the infection-induced accumulation of microglia and downregulated the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, the neurite and synaptic ultrastructural damage in the hippocampal CA1 region due to infection was ameliorated by lentinan administration. Lentinan decreased the cyst burden in the brains of infected mice, which was correlated with behavioral performance. In line with this finding, lentinan could significantly inhibit the proliferation of T. gondii tachyzoites in the microglial cell line BV2, although lentinan had no direct inhibitory effect on parasite growth. CONCLUSIONS Lentinan prevents cognitive deficits via the improvement of neurite impairment and synaptic loss induced by T. gondii infection, which may be associated with decreased cyst burden in the brain. Overall, our findings indicate that lentinan can ameliorate T. gondii-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxi Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunqiu Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yiling Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Daxiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuying Gong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zeyu Cui
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongshui Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yumei Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Dahui Wang
- Liangshan College (Li Shui) China, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Wei Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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Taheri M, Bahrami A, Asadi KK, Mohammadi M, Molaei P, Hashemi M, Nouri F. A review on nonviral, nonbacterial infectious agents toxicity involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegener Dis Manag 2023; 13:351-369. [PMID: 38357803 DOI: 10.2217/nmt-2023-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuronal death, decreased activity or dysfunction of neurotransmitters are some of the pathophysiological reasons for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. Also, there is evidence for the role of infections and infectious agents in neurodegenerative diseases and the effect of some metabolites in microorganisms in the pathophysiology of these diseases. In this study, we intend to evaluate the existing studies on the role of infectious agents and their metabolites on the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science search engines were searched. Some infectious agents have been observed in neurodegenerative diseases. Also, isolations of some fungi and microalgae have an improving effect on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Taheri
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Ali Bahrami
- Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Kiana Kimiaei Asadi
- Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mojdeh Mohammadi
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Pejman Molaei
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Hashemi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science & Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Nouri
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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12
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Nayeri T, Moosazadeh M, Asl AD, Ghaffarifar F, Sarvi S, Daryani A. Toxoplasma infection and Rhesus blood group system: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287992. [PMID: 37406027 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common infections in humans and animals, which is caused by an obligate intracellular opportunistic parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). Some data have shown that both Rhesus (Rh)-positive and Rh-negative individuals differ in response to biological factors, including Toxoplasma infection. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the scientific evidence regarding the possible association between the Rh blood group and Toxoplasma infection and to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in the Rh blood group system. METHODS The research was conducted on PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases until January 2023. Twenty-one cross-sectional studies were included with a total of 10910 people. The data were synthesized using a random effect model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS The overall prevalence of T. gondii was calculated at 32.34% (CI 95%: 28.23-36.45%) and 33.35% (CI 95%: 19.73-46.96%) in Rh-positive and Rh-negative blood groups. In addition, the pooled OR for the relationship between the Rh blood group and the seroprevalence of T. gondii was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.72-1.28). CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis showed a high prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in both Rh-negative and positive blood groups. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that no significant association was found between toxoplasmosis and Rh factor. Because of the limited number of studies in this field, more research is recommended to determine the exact relationship between toxoplasmosis and the Rh factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooran Nayeri
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahmood Moosazadeh
- Gastrointestitional Cancer Research Center, Non-communicable Disease Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Abdolhossein Dalimi Asl
- Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
- Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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13
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Bisetegn H, Debash H, Ebrahim H, Mahmood N, Gedefie A, Tilahun M, Alemayehu E, Mohammed O, Feleke DG. Global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among patients with mental and neurological disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1319. [PMID: 37287705 PMCID: PMC10242185 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Toxoplasmosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease that affects one-third of the world's population, and imposes a major public health problem worldwide. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of toxoplasmosis among patients with neuropsychiatric patients. Methods Electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, and Scopus were thoroughly searched from February to March 2022 to identify all relevant studies. The quality of studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality scale for case-control and cross-sectional studies. Statistical analysis was done using STATA version 12 software. A random effect model was used to compute the global pooled seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Heterogeneity was quantified by using I 2 value. Subgroup analysis was done, and publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. Result Of 1250 studies, 49 containing 21,093 participants and conducted in 18 countries were included. The global pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was 38.27% (95% CI: 32.04-44.9) among neuropsychiatric patients and 25.31% (95% CI: 21.53-29.08) in healthy controls with substantial heterogeneity of 98.3%. The prevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was higher in males (17.52%) than in females (12.35%) neuropsychiatric patients. The highest pooled prevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was in Europe (57%) followed by Africa (45.25%) and Asia (43%). Time based analysis showed the highest pooled prevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody in 2012-2016 (41.16%).The global pooled seroprevalence T. gondii IgM antibody among neuropsychiatric patients and healthy controls was 6.78% (95% CI: 4.87-8.69) and 3.13% (95% CI: 2.02-4.24), respectively. Conclusion The pooled prevalence of chronic and acute T. gondii infection among neuropsychiatric patients was 38.27% and 6.78%, respectively. This showed a high burden of toxoplasmosis among neurological and psychiatric patients and urges routine screening of those patients and providing appropriate treatment. It also indicates the need for different stakeholders to develop targeted prevention and control strategies for T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habtye Bisetegn
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Habtu Debash
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Hussen Ebrahim
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | | | - Alemu Gedefie
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Mihret Tilahun
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Ermiyas Alemayehu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Ousman Mohammed
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health SciencesWollo UniversityDessieEthiopia
| | - Daniel Getacher Feleke
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
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Wu Y, Xu D, He Y, Yan Z, Liu R, Liu Z, He C, Liu X, Yu Y, Yang X, Pan W. Dimethyl itaconate ameliorates the deficits of goal-directed behavior in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011350. [PMID: 37256871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neurotrophic parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has been implicated as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is only limited information concerning its underlying mechanism and therapeutic strategy. Here, we investigated the effects of T. gondii chronic infection on the goal-directed cognitive behavior in mice. Moreover, we evaluated the preventive and therapeutic effect of dimethyl itaconate on the behavior deficits induced by the parasite. METHODS The infection model was established by orally infecting the cysts of T. gondii. Dimethyl itaconate was intraperitoneally administered before or after the infection. Y-maze and temporal order memory (TOM) tests were used to evaluate the prefrontal cortex-dependent behavior performance. Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, western blot, and RNA sequencing were utilized to determine the pathological changes in the prefrontal cortex of mice. RESULTS We showed that T. gondii infection impaired the prefrontal cortex-dependent goal-directed behavior. The infection significantly downregulated the expression of the genes associated with synaptic transmission, plasticity, and cognitive behavior in the prefrontal cortex of mice. On the contrary, the infection robustly upregulated the expression of activation makers of microglia and astrocytes. In addition, the metabolic phenotype of the prefrontal cortex post infection was characterized by the enhancement of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation, the blockage of the Krebs cycle, and the disorder of aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)-itaconate axis. Notably, the administration of dimethyl itaconate significantly prevented and treated the cognitive impairment induced by T. gondii, which was evidenced by the improvement of behavioral deficits, synaptic ultrastructure lesion and neuroinflammation. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrates that T. gondii infection induces the deficits of the goal-directed behavior, which is associated with neuroinflammation, the impairment of synaptic ultrastructure, and the metabolic shifts in the prefrontal cortex of mice. Moreover, we report that dimethyl itaconate has the potential to prevent and treat the behavior deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongshuai Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Daxiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yan He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Rundong Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhuanzhuan Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Cheng He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiaomei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Yinghua Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
| | - Wei Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Jiangsu International Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, China
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Tuszewska H, Szczepański J, Mandziuk S, Trotsko N. Thiazolidin-4-one-based derivatives - Efficient tools for designing antiprotozoal agents. A review of the last decade. Bioorg Chem 2023; 133:106398. [PMID: 36739686 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Thiazolidin-4-one derivatives have a wide range of therapeutic implementations and clinical significance for medicinal chemistry. This heterocyclic ring has been reported to possess a variety of biological activities, including antiprotozoal activities that have inspired scientists to integrate this scaffold with different pharmacophoric fragments to design novel and effective antiprotozoal compounds. There are reviews describing thiazolidin-4-ones small molecules as good candidates with a single type of antiprotozoal activity, but none of these show collected news associated with the antiprotozoal activity of thiazolidin-4-ones and their SAR analysis from the last decade. In this review we are focusing on the antitoxoplasmic, anti-trypanosomal, antimalarial, antileishmanial, and antiamoebic activity of these derivatives, we attempt to summarize and analyze the recent developments with regard to the antiprotozoal potential of 4-TZD covering the structure-activity relationship and main molecular targets. The importance of various structural modifications at C2, N3, and C5 of the thiazolidine-4-one core has also been discussed in this review. We hope that all information concluded in this review can be useful for other researchers in constructing new effective antiprotozoal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Tuszewska
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4a, Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jacek Szczepański
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4a, Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Sławomir Mandziuk
- Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Medical University of Lublin, 8, Jaczewski Str., 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Nazar Trotsko
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4a, Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
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Nessim J, Luna-Ramirez JC, Moreno-Gómez GA, Galvis-Soto DM, Gomez-Marin JE. Estimations of the number people with mental diseases associated with toxoplasmosis and identification of risk factors by continent. Psychiatry Res 2023; 323:115130. [PMID: 36913872 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Strong evidence exists based on metanalysis of the relationship between toxoplasmosis and many psychiatric diseases: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and suicidal behavior. Herein, we estimate the number of cases based on the attributable fraction due to toxoplasmosis on these diseases. The population attributable fraction of mental disease associated with toxoplasmosis was 20,4% for schizophrenia; 27,3% for bipolar disorder; and 0,29% for suicidal behavior (self-harm). The lower and upper estimated number of people with mental disease associated with toxoplasmosis was 4'816.491 and 5'564.407 for schizophrenia; 6'348.946 and 7'510.118,82 for bipolar disorder; and 24.310 and 28.151 for self-harm; for a global total lower estimated number of 11'189.748 and global total upper estimated number of 13'102.678 people with mental disease associated with toxoplasmosis for the year 2019. According to the prediction through the Bayesian model of risk factors for toxoplasmosis associated with mental disease, these varied in importance geographically; thus, in Africa, the most important risk factor was water contamination and in the European region, the cooking conditions of meats. Toxoplasmosis and mental health should be a research priority given the enormous potential impact of reducing this parasite in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nessim
- Molecular Parasitology Group (GEPAMOL, for the term in Spanish), Biomedical Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | | | | | | | - Jorge E Gomez-Marin
- Molecular Parasitology Group (GEPAMOL, for the term in Spanish), Biomedical Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia.
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He Y, Xu D, Yan Z, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Tian X, Zhu J, Liu Z, Cheng W, Zheng K, Yang X, Yu Y, Pan W. A metabolite attenuates neuroinflammation, synaptic loss and cognitive deficits induced by chronic infection of Toxoplasma gondii. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1043572. [PMID: 36618398 PMCID: PMC9815861 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurodegenerative diseases including AD is currently one of intractable problems globally due to the insufficiency of intervention strategies. Long-term infection of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) can induce cognitive impairment in hosts, which is closely implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1) and its produced metabolite itaconate (termed Acod1/itaconate axis), have recently attracted extensive interests due to its anti-inflammatory role in macrophages. However, whether the axis can influence cognitive function remains unknown. Methods A chronic T. gondii-infected mice (C57BL/6J) model was established via administration of cysts by gavage. Novel location (NL), novel object recognition (NOR), Y-maze spatial memory and nest building tests were used to evaluate the behavior performance. Transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, western-blotting and RNA sequencing were utilized to determine the pathological changes, neuroinflammation and transcription profile in hippocampus tissues post infection, respectively. Moreover, the protective effect of Acod1/itaconate axis in T. gondii-induced cognitive deficits was evaluated. Results We found that the latent infection of the parasite impaired the cognitive function, which was assessed behaviorally by novel location (NL), novel object recognition (NOR), Y-maze spatial memory and nest building tests. RNA sequencing of hippocampus showed that the infection downregulated the expression of genes related to synaptic plasticity, transmission and cognitive behavior. To our attention, the infection robustly upregulated the expression of genes associated with pro-inflammatory responses, which was characterized by microglia activation and disorder of Acod1/itaconate axis. Interestingly, administration of dimethyl itaconate (DI, an itaconate derivative with cell membrane permeability) could significantly ameliorate the cognitive deficits induced by T. gondii, which was proved by improvement of behavior performance and synaptic ultrastructure impairment, and lower accumulation of pro-inflammatory microglia. Notably, DI administration had a potential therapeutic effect on the cognitive deficits and synaptic impairment induced by the parasitic infection. Conclusions Overall, these findings provide a novel insight for the pathogenesis of T. gondii-related cognitive deficits in hosts, and also provide a novel clue for the potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Daxiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongshuai Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongsheng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaokang Tian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinhang Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Basic Medicine (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,The Second Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuanzhuan Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wanpeng Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kuiyang Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Wei Pan, ; Yinghua Yu, ; Xiaoying Yang,
| | - Yinghua Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Wei Pan, ; Yinghua Yu, ; Xiaoying Yang,
| | - Wei Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Wei Pan, ; Yinghua Yu, ; Xiaoying Yang,
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18
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Vojtechova I, Machacek T, Kristofikova Z, Stuchlik A, Petrasek T. Infectious origin of Alzheimer’s disease: Amyloid beta as a component of brain antimicrobial immunity. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010929. [PMCID: PMC9671327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid cascade hypothesis, focusing on pathological proteins aggregation, has so far failed to uncover the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), or to provide an effective therapy. This traditional paradigm essentially explains a mechanism involved in the development of sporadic AD rather than its cause. The failure of an overwhelming majority of clinical studies (99.6%) demonstrates that a breakthrough in therapy would be difficult if not impossible without understanding the etiology of AD. It becomes more and more apparent that the AD pathology might originate from brain infection. In this review, we discuss a potential role of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and eukaryotic parasites as triggers of AD pathology. We show evidence from the current literature that amyloid beta, traditionally viewed as pathological, actually acts as an antimicrobial peptide, protecting the brain against pathogens. However, in case of a prolonged or excessive activation of a senescent immune system, amyloid beta accumulation and aggregation becomes damaging and supports runaway neurodegenerative processes in AD. This is paralleled by the recent study by Alam and colleagues (2022) who showed that alpha-synuclein, the protein accumulating in synucleinopathies, also plays a critical physiological role in immune reactions and inflammation, showing an unforeseen link between the 2 unrelated classes of neurodegenerative disorders. The multiplication of the amyloid precursor protein gene, recently described by Lee and collegues (2018), and possible reactivation of human endogenous retroviruses by pathogens fits well into the same picture. We discuss these new findings from the viewpoint of the infection hypothesis of AD and offer suggestions for future research. More than a century after its discovery, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains incurable and mysterious. The dominant hypothesis of amyloid cascade has succeeded in explaining the key pathological mechanism, but not its trigger. Amyloid beta has been traditionally considered a pathological peptide, and its physiological functions remain poorly known. These knowledge gaps have contributed to repeated failures of clinical studies. The emerging infectious hypothesis of AD considers central nervous system (CNS) infection the primary trigger of sporadic AD. A closely connected hypothesis claims that amyloid beta is an antimicrobial peptide. In this review, we discuss the available evidence for the involvement of infections in AD, coming from epidemiological studies, post mortem analyses of brain tissue, and experiments in vitro and in vivo. We argue there is no unique “Alzheimer’s germ,” instead, AD is a general reaction of the CNS to chronic infections, in the milieu of an aged immune system. The pathology may become self-sustained even without continuous presence of microbes in the brain. Importantly, the infectious hypothesis leads to testable predictions. Targeting amyloid beta should be ineffective, unless the triggering pathogen and inflammatory response are addressed as well. Meticulous control of selected infections might be the best near-term strategy for AD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iveta Vojtechova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail: , (IV); , (TP)
| | - Tomas Machacek
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ales Stuchlik
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Petrasek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail: , (IV); , (TP)
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19
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Rostami A, Riahi SM, Mollalo A, Razavian I, Akbari N, Marhoommirzabak E, Mahjour S, Sartip B, Arshadi M, Razavian E, Ardekani A. Does latent Toxoplasma infection have a protective effect against developing multiple sclerosis? Evidence from an updated meta-analysis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2022; 116:996-1006. [PMID: 35696089 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous epidemiologic evidence suggests a protective effect of Toxoplasma gondii infection against multiple sclerosis (MS) development; however, inconsistent findings have been reported in this regard. Therefore, we performed an updated meta-analysis of observational studies to investigate the association of To. gondii infection with MS development. We searched all articles published in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science databases as of 20 December 2021. A random effects meta-analysis model was used to generate the pooled OR at 95% CIs. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I2 and Cochran's Q statistics. Moreover, the likelihood of publication bias was determined by Egger's regression test. A total of 11 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, including 1172 MS cases and 1802 controls. Our findings indicated that 29.8% (95% CI 22.8 to 37.2%) of MS patients were seropositive for To. gondii infection, compared with 34.2% (95% CI 21.9 to 47.6%) of control subjects. The estimated pooled OR was 0.79 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.26), suggesting a non-significant negative association between To. gondii infection and MS development (p>0.05). The current study does not support the significant protective role of To. gondii infection on MS development. Our findings imply that further well-designed epidemiological and mechanistic studies are warranted to ascertain the possible association between To. gondii infection and MS and to exclude the potential confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Riahi
- Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mollalo
- Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, School of Health Sciences, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio, USA
| | - Iman Razavian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nahid Akbari
- Department of Genetic, Faculty of Basic Science, Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elika Marhoommirzabak
- Department of Neurology, University of Visayas, Gullas College of Medicine, Cebu city, 600 Cebu, Philippines
| | - Sanaz Mahjour
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Behnam Sartip
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Arshadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elnaz Razavian
- Department of Neurology, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Ardekani
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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20
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French T, Steffen J, Glas A, Osbelt L, Strowig T, Schott BH, Schüler T, Dunay IR. Persisting Microbiota and Neuronal Imbalance Following T. gondii Infection Reliant on the Infection Route. Front Immunol 2022; 13:920658. [PMID: 35898505 PMCID: PMC9311312 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.920658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a highly successful parasite capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals. The natural way of infection in intermediate hosts is the oral ingestion of parasite-contaminated water or food. In murine experimental models, oral infection (p.o.) of mice with T. gondii is applied to investigate mucosal and peripheral immune cell dynamics, whereas intraperitoneal infection (i.p.) is frequently used to study peripheral inflammation as well as immune cell – neuronal interaction in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the two infection routes have not yet been systematically compared along the course of infection. Here, C57BL/6 mice were infected p.o. or i.p. with a low dose of T. gondii cysts, and the acute and chronic stages of infection were compared. A more severe course of infection was detected following i.p. challenge, characterized by an increased weight loss and marked expression of proinflammatory cytokines particularly in the CNS during the chronic stage. The elevated proinflammatory cytokine expression in the ileum was more prominent after p.o. challenge that continued following the acute phase in both i.p. or p.o. infected mice. This resulted in sustained microbial dysbiosis, especially after p.o. challenge, highlighted by increased abundance of pathobionts from the phyla proteobacteria and a reduction of beneficial commensal species. Further, we revealed that in the CNS of i.p. infected mice CD4 and CD8 T cells displayed higher IFNγ production in the chronic stage. This corresponded with an increased expression of C1q and CD68 in the CNS and reduced expression of genes involved in neuronal signal transmission. Neuroinflammation-associated synaptic alterations, especially PSD-95, VGLUT, and EAAT2 expression, were more pronounced in the cortex upon i.p. infection highlighting the profound interplay between peripheral inflammation and CNS homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy French
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Steffen
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Albert Glas
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Osbelt
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Björn H. Schott
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schüler
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ildiko Rita Dunay
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Ildiko Rita Dunay,
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21
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Host cell proteins modulated upon Toxoplasma infection identified using proteomic approaches: a molecular rationale. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1853-1865. [PMID: 35552534 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07541-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogenic protozoan parasite belonging to the apicomplexan phylum that infects the nucleated cells of warm-blooded hosts leading to an infectious disease known as toxoplasmosis. Apicomplexan parasites such as T. gondii can display different mechanisms to control or manipulate host cells signaling at different levels altering the host subcellular genome and proteome. Indeed, Toxoplasma is able to modulate host cell responses (especially immune responses) during infection to its advantage through both structural and functional changes in the proteome of different infected cells. Consequently, parasites can transform the invaded cells into a suitable environment for its own replication and the induction of infection. Proteomics as an applicable tool can identify such critical proteins involved in pathogen (Toxoplasma)-host cell interactions and consequently clarify the cellular mechanisms that facilitate the entry of pathogens into host cells, and their replication and transmission, as well as the central mechanisms of host defense against pathogens. Accordingly, the current paper reviews several proteins (identified using proteomic approaches) differentially expressed in the proteome of Toxoplasma-infected host cells (macrophages and human foreskin fibroblasts) and tissues (brain and liver) and highlights their plausible functions in the cellular biology of the infected cells. The identification of such modulated proteins and their related cell impact (cell responses/signaling) can provide further information regarding parasite pathogenesis and biology that might lead to a better understanding of therapeutic strategies and novel drug targets.
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22
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Toxoplasma Reduces Complications of Parkinson’s Disease: An Experimental Study in BALB/c Mice. J Parasitol Res 2022; 2022:5716765. [PMID: 35530748 PMCID: PMC9076346 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5716765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parkinson's disease (PD) has been described in dopamine brain level reductions. Conversely, several studies have shown that Toxoplasma parasite can increase the level of dopamine in an infected host. This study was conducted to assess the serum, cerebral dopamine levels, and downregulation of Parkinson's disease manifestations in mice with chronic toxoplasmosis. Methods PD induction was done by oral inoculation of rotenone into BALB/c mice. To induce the chronic infection, cysts of T. gondii Prugniaud strain (genotype II) were injected intraperitoneally into the mice. The rotarod test was used for the evaluation of functional motor disorders in experimental mice. The serum and cerebral dopamine levels of the mice were also measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on consecutive periods (10 days). Results Findings of the rotarod test showed the highest and lowest average of running duration belonged to the uninfected mice and PD mice, respectively. Remarkably, the running duration of infected mice with PD was higher than PD mice. As well, the level of serum and cerebral dopamine increased in mice with PD and toxoplasmosis in comparison with PD mice. Conclusion Increasing the serum and cerebral dopamine levels in mice infected with toxoplasmosis is related to the presence of the parasite. Moreover, the dopamine upregulation due to the infection is effective in the reduction of PD complications.
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23
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Zhu K, Liu K, Huang J, Weng X, Chen Q, Gao T, Chen K, Jing C, Wang J, Yang G. Toxoplasma gondii infection as a risk factor for osteoporosis: a case-control study. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:151. [PMID: 35477558 PMCID: PMC9044867 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05257-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background More than one-third of the total world population is infected by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). T. gondii has been linked to various diseases, such as cancer, mental disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), etc. However, the effects of T. gondii infection on the risk of osteoporosis are unclear. Our study aimed to uncover evidence to determine whether patients exposed to T. gondii have an increased or decreased risk of osteoporosis in people with abnormal bone mineral density (BMD) by using case–control study. Methods A total of 729 patients, including 316 osteopenia and 413 osteoporosis patients of Han Chinese ancestry were selected in the study. Their blood samples were collected and the levels of specific IgG antibodies against T. gondii were measured using ELISA assay. We obtained some information about the patients from the medical record that included demographic indexes and clinical data. A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of T. gondii infection on femur osteoporosis, lumbar osteoporosis and compound osteoporosis. Potential interaction was analyzed using multifactor dimensionality reduction software 1.0.0 (MDR 1.0.0). Results 113 positive patients with T. gondii infections have been detected, including 80 cases of osteoporosis and 33 cases of osteopenia, the infection rates of T. gondii were 19.37% (80/413) and 10.44% (33/316), respectively. The patients with T.gondii infections were at a 2.60 times higher risk of suffering from compound osteoporosis than those without T. gondii infections (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.54–4.39, P < 0.001), but not associated with femur osteoporosis (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.43–2.34, P = 0.989) and lumbar osteoporosis (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.34–2.07, P = 0.705) after adjusting for the covariates. Moreover, a significantly higher risk of compound osteoporosis in the individuals with all two factors (T. gondii infection, Female) was observed compared with reference group (without T. gondii infection, male) under the interaction model (OR = 11.44, 95%CI = 5.44–24.05, P < 0.001). And the individuals with all two factors (T. gondii infection, over 70 years) exhibited a 8.14-fold higher possibility of developing compound osteoporosis compared with reference group (without T. gondii infection, under 70 years) (OR = 8.14, 95% CI 3.91–16.93, P < 0.001). We further stratified by age and sex, and found that women with T. gondii infection was more likely to develop compound osteoporosis than those without infection(OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.67–5.81, P < 0.001), but we not found the association between T. gondii infection and compound osteoporosis in males (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 0.37–4.94, P = 0.645). Conclusions T. gondii infection is a risk factor for osteoporosis, especially compound osteoporosis. Meanwhile, it is very necessary for patients with osteoporosis to further diagnose and treat T. gondii infection, especially women. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05257-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kehui Zhu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.,Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Junsi Huang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xueqiong Weng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaoyun Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Kebing Chen
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Chunxia Jing
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Road West, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.
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Toxoplasma gondii infection/exposure and the risk of brain tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol 2022; 77:102119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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25
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Yin K, Xu C, Zhao G, Xie H. Epigenetic Manipulation of Psychiatric Behavioral Disorders Induced by Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:803502. [PMID: 35237531 PMCID: PMC8882818 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.803502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is known to have a complex life cycle and infect almost all kinds of warm-blooded animals around the world. The brain of the host could be persistently infected by cerebral cysts, and a variety of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and suicide have been reported to be related with latent toxoplasmosis. The infected animals showed fear reduction and a tendency to be preyed upon. However, the mechanism of this “parasites manipulation” effects have not been elucidated. Here, we reviewed the recent infection prevalence of toxoplasmosis and the evidence of mental and behavioral disorders induced by T. gondii and discussed the related physiological basis including dopamine dysregulation and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway and the controversial opinion of the necessity for cerebral cysts existence. Based on the recent advances, we speculated that the neuroendocrine programs and neurotransmitter imbalance may play a key role in this process. Simultaneously, studies in the evaluation of the expression pattern of related genes, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and mRNAs of the host provides a new point for understanding the mechanism of neurotransmitter dysfunction induced by parasite manipulation. Therefore, we summarized the animal models, T. gondii strains, and behavioral tests used in the related epigenetic studies and the responsible epigenetic processes; pinpointed opportunities and challenges in future research including the causality evidence of human psychiatric disorders, the statistical analysis for rodent-infected host to be more vulnerable preyed upon; and identified responsible genes and drug targets through epigenetics.
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Linard M, Ravier A, Mougué L, Grgurina I, Boutillier AL, Foubert-Samier A, Blanc F, Helmer C. Infectious Agents as Potential Drivers of α-Synucleinopathies. Mov Disord 2022; 37:464-477. [PMID: 35040520 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
α-synucleinopathies, encompassing Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, are devastating neurodegenerative diseases for which available therapeutic options are scarce, mostly because of our limited understanding of their pathophysiology. Although these pathologies are attributed to an intracellular accumulation of the α-synuclein protein in the nervous system with subsequent neuronal loss, the trigger(s) of this accumulation is/are not clearly identified. Among the existing hypotheses, interest in the hypothesis advocating the involvement of infectious agents in the onset of these diseases is renewed. In this article, we aimed to review the ongoing relevant factors favoring and opposing this hypothesis, focusing on (1) the potential antimicrobial role of α-synuclein, (2) potential entry points of pathogens in regard to early symptoms of diverse α-synucleinopathies, (3) pre-existing literature reviews assessing potential associations between infectious agents and Parkinson's disease, (4) original studies assessing these associations for dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy (identified through a systematic literature review), and finally (5) potential susceptibility factors modulating the effects of infectious agents on the nervous system. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Linard
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR U1219, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alix Ravier
- CM2R (Memory Resource and Research Centre), Geriatrics Department, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Louisa Mougué
- Cognitive-Behavioral Unit and Memory Consultations, Hospital of Sens, Sens, France
| | - Iris Grgurina
- University of Strasbourg, UMR7364 CNRS, LNCA, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Alexandra Foubert-Samier
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR U1219, Bordeaux, France.,French Reference Centre for MSA, University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Frédéric Blanc
- CM2R (Memory Resource and Research Centre), Geriatrics Department, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,ICube Laboratory and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), Team IMIS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Catherine Helmer
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR U1219, Bordeaux, France
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27
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Nayeri T, Sarvi S, Daryani A. Toxoplasmosis: Targeting neurotransmitter systems in psychiatric disorders. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:123-146. [PMID: 34476718 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00824-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The most common form of the disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is latent toxoplasmosis due to the formation of tissue cysts in various organs, such as the brain. Latent toxoplasmosis is probably a risk factor in the development of some neuropsychiatric disorders. Behavioral changes after infection are caused by the host immune response, manipulation by the parasite, central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, as well as changes in hormonal and neuromodulator relationships. The present review focused on the exact mechanisms of T. gondii effect on the alteration of behavior and neurotransmitter levels, their catabolites and metabolites, as well as the interaction between immune responses and this parasite in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. The dysfunction of neurotransmitters in the neural transmission is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, further intensive studies are required to determine the effect of this parasite on altering the level of neurotransmitters and the role of neurotransmitters in the etiology of host behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tooran Nayeri
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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28
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Wang X, Jiang D, Li T, Zhang X, Wang R, Gao S, Yang F, Wang Y, Tian Q, Xie C, Liang J. Association between microbiological risk factors and neurodegenerative disorders: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:991085. [PMID: 36213914 PMCID: PMC9537612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.991085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The role of microbiological factors in the development of neurodegenerative diseases is attracting increasing attention, while the relationship remains debated. This study aimed to comprehensively summarize and evaluate the associations between microbiological factors and the risk of neurodegenerative disorders with an umbrella review. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were used to search for papers from the earliest to March 2021 for identifying meta-analyses and systematic reviews that examined associations between microbiological factors and neurodegenerative diseases. AMSTAR2 tool was employed to evaluate the methodical quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The effect size and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were recalculated with a random effect model after the overlap was recognized by the corrected covered area (CCA) method. The heterogeneity of each meta-analysis was measured by the I 2 statistic and 95% prediction interval (95% PI). Additionally, publication bias and the quality of evidence were evaluated for all 37 unique associations. Only 4 associations had above the medium level of evidence, and the rest associations presented a low level of evidence. Among them, helicobacter pylori (HP), infection, and bacteria are associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), and the other one verifies that periodontal disease is a risk factor for all types of dementia. Following the evidence of our study, eradication of HP and aggressive treatment of periodontitis are beneficial for the prevention of PD and dementia, respectively. This umbrella review provides comprehensive quality-grade evidence on the relationship between microbial factors and neurodegenerative disease. Regardless of much evidence linking microbial factors to neurodegenerative diseases, these associations are not necessarily causal, and the evidence level is generally low. Thus, more effective studies are required. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#searchadvanced, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021239512.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Deming Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiong Li
- Surgery Centre of Diabetes Mellitus, Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine (Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University), Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Song Gao
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fengyi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Tian
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chunrong Xie
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Huairou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Chunrong Xie
| | - Jinghong Liang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jinghong Liang
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29
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Alizadeh Khatir A, Moghaddam SA, Almukhtar M, Ghorbani H, Babazadeh A, Mehravar S, Rostami A. Toxoplasma infection and risk of epilepsy: A case-control study of incident patients. Microb Pathog 2021; 161:105302. [PMID: 34808274 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We performed an age matched case-control study of incident epileptic patients to assess the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and epilepsy. Cases were 94 newly diagnosed patients (mean age, 36.7 ± 15.9) with unprovoked convulsive epilepsy of unknown etiology and controls were 88 healthy individuals (mean age, 37.5 ± 17.1) with no history of epilepsy or neurological disorders. Sera of all subjects were examined for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies using commercially enzyme-linked immunoassays. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using univariate analysis and logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in epileptic patients (68.1%; 95%CI, 57.6-77.3%) was significantly higher than healthy controls (47.7%; 95%CI, 36.9-58.6%), indicating a significant relationship between Toxoplasma infection seropositivity and epilepsy (adjusted OR, 2.58; 95%CI, 1.16-5.72; P value < 0.05). The univariate analyses showed more than two-fold higher Toxoplasma seropositivity in patients with focal (OR, 2.31; 95%CI, 0.94-5.67) and generalized (OR, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.215-4.57) seizures versus healthy controls. Our findings support hypothesis that Toxoplasma infection/exposure may play an important role in development of epilepsy. Preventive measures to control of Toxoplasma infection especially in north of Iran and early treatment might be effective to reduce the occurrence of epilepsy in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Alizadeh Khatir
- Mobility Impairment Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | | | - Hossein Ghorbani
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Arefeh Babazadeh
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Saeed Mehravar
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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30
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Daher D, Shaghlil A, Sobh E, Hamie M, Hassan ME, Moumneh MB, Itani S, El Hajj R, Tawk L, El Sabban M, El Hajj H. Comprehensive Overview of Toxoplasma gondii-Induced and Associated Diseases. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111351. [PMID: 34832507 PMCID: PMC8625914 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a prevalent protozoan parasite of medical and veterinary significance. It is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a neglected disease in which incidence and symptoms differ between patients and regions. In immunocompetent patients, toxoplasmosis manifests as acute and chronic forms. Acute toxoplasmosis presents as mild or asymptomatic disease that evolves, under the host immune response, into a persistent chronic disease in healthy individuals. Chronic toxoplasmosis establishes as latent tissue cysts in the brain and skeletal muscles. In immunocompromised patients, chronic toxoplasmosis may reactivate, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition. Recently, the association between toxoplasmosis and various diseases has been shown. These span primary neuropathies, behavioral and psychiatric disorders, and different types of cancer. Currently, a direct pre-clinical or clinical molecular connotation between toxoplasmosis and most of its associated diseases remains poorly understood. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on Toxoplasma-induced and associated diseases with a focus on available knowledge of the molecular players dictating these associations. We will also abridge the existing therapeutic options of toxoplasmosis and highlight the current gaps to explore the implications of toxoplasmosis on its associated diseases to advance treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darine Daher
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
| | - Ahmad Shaghlil
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, R. Hariri Campus, Lebanese University, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (A.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Eyad Sobh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, R. Hariri Campus, Lebanese University, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (A.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Maguy Hamie
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
| | - Malika Elhage Hassan
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
| | - Mohamad Bahij Moumneh
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
| | - Shaymaa Itani
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
| | - Rana El Hajj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut 1107 2809, Lebanon;
| | - Lina Tawk
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand, Beirut 1100 2807, Lebanon;
| | - Marwan El Sabban
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon;
| | - Hiba El Hajj
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (D.D.); (M.H.); (M.E.H.); (M.B.M.); (S.I.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +961–1-350000 (ext. 4897)
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31
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de Haan L, Sutterland AL, Schotborgh JV, Schirmbeck F, de Haan L. Association of Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity With Cognitive Function in Healthy People: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry 2021; 78:1103-1112. [PMID: 34259822 PMCID: PMC8281022 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with behavioral alterations and psychiatric disorders. Studies investigating neurocognition in people with T gondii infection have reported varying results. To systematically analyze these findings, a meta-analysis evaluating cognitive function in healthy people with and without T gondii seropositivity is needed. OBJECTIVE To assess whether and to what extent T gondii seropositivity is associated with cognitive function in otherwise healthy people. DATA SOURCES A systematic search was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. A systematic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Embase was performed to identify studies from database inception to June 7, 2019, that analyzed cognitive function among healthy participants with available data on T gondii seropositivity. Search terms included toxoplasmosis, neurotoxoplasmosis, Toxoplasma gondii, cognition disorder, neuropsychological, and psychomotor performance. STUDY SELECTION Studies that performed cognitive assessment and analyzed T gondii seroprevalence among otherwise healthy participants were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Two researchers independently extracted data from published articles; if needed, authors were contacted to provide additional data. Quantitative syntheses were performed in predefined cognitive domains when 4 independent data sets per domain were available. Study quality, heterogeneity, and publication bias were assessed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Performance on neuropsychological tests measuring cognitive function. RESULTS The systematic search yielded 1954 records. After removal of 533 duplicates, an additional 1363 records were excluded based on a review of titles and abstracts. A total of 58 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility (including reference list screening); 45 articles were excluded because they lacked important data or did not meet study inclusion or reference list criteria. The remaining 13 studies comprising 13 289 healthy participants (mean [SD] age, 46.7 [16.0] years; 6586 men [49.6%]) with and without T gondii seropositivity were included in the meta-analysis. Participants without T gondii seropositivity had favorable functioning in 4 cognitive domains: processing speed (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.12; 95% CI, 0.05-0.19; P = .001), working memory (SMD, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.06-0.26; P = .002), short-term verbal memory (SMD, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.09-0.27; P < .001), and executive functioning (SMD, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.01-0.28; P = .03). A meta-regression analysis found a significant association between older age and executive functioning (Q = 6.17; P = .01). Little suggestion of publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The study's findings suggested that T gondii seropositivity was associated with mild cognitive impairment in several cognitive domains. Although effect sizes were small, given the ubiquitous prevalence of this infection globally, the association with cognitive impairment could imply a considerable adverse effect at the population level. Further research is warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lies de Haan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arjen L. Sutterland
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper V. Schotborgh
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frederike Schirmbeck
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lieuwe de Haan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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32
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Gale SD, Erickson LD, Brown BL, Hedges DW. Examining the Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and Seropositivity and Serointensity and Depression in Adults from the United Kingdom and the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10091101. [PMID: 34578136 PMCID: PMC8470860 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Infecting approximately one-third of the world’s population, the neurotropic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with cognition and several neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Findings have been mixed, however, about the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and depression, with some studies reporting positive associations and others finding no associations. To further investigate the association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression, we used data from the UK Biobank and the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). Results from adjusted multiple-regression modeling showed no significant associations between Toxoplasma gondii and depression in either the UK Biobank or NHANES datasets. Further, we found no significant interactions between Toxoplasma gondii and age, sex, educational attainment, and income in either dataset that affected the association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression. These results from two community-based datasets suggest that in these samples, Toxoplasma gondii is not associated with depression. Differences between our findings and other findings showing an association between Toxoplasma gondii and depression could be due to several factors including differences in socioeconomic variables, differences in Toxoplasma gondii strain, and use of different covariates in statistical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn D. Gale
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; (B.L.B.); (D.W.H.)
- The Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-801-422-9757
| | - Lance D. Erickson
- Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;
| | - Bruce L. Brown
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; (B.L.B.); (D.W.H.)
| | - Dawson W. Hedges
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; (B.L.B.); (D.W.H.)
- The Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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Yang HY, Chien WC, Chung CH, Su RY, Lai CY, Yang CC, Tzeng NS. Risk of dementia in patients with toxoplasmosis: a nationwide, population-based cohort study in Taiwan. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:435. [PMID: 34454590 PMCID: PMC8401101 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04928-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Approximately 25–30% of individuals worldwide are infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which is difficult to detect in its latent state. We aimed to evaluate the association between toxoplasmosis, the risk of dementia, and the effects of antibiotics in Taiwan. Methods This nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database containing the records of 2 million individuals retrieved from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Fine–Gray competing risk analysis was used to determine the risk for the development of dementia in the toxoplasmosis cohort relative to the non-toxoplasmosis cohort. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted. The effects of antibiotics (sulfadiazine or clindamycin) on the risk of dementia were also analyzed. Results We enrolled a total of 800 subjects, and identified 200 patients with toxoplasmosis and 600 sex- and age-matched controls without toxoplasmosis infection in a ratio of 1:3, selected between 2000 and 2015. The crude hazard ratio (HR) of the risk of developing dementia was 2.570 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.511–4.347, P < 0.001]. After adjusting for sex, age, monthly insurance premiums, urbanization level, geographical region, and comorbidities, the adjusted HR was 2.878 (95% CI = 1.709–4.968, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis revealed that toxoplasmosis was associated with the risk of dementia even after excluding diagnosis in the first year and the first 5 years. The usage of sulfadiazine or clindamycin in the treatment of toxoplasmosis was associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Conclusions This finding supports the evidence that toxoplasmosis is associated with dementia and that antibiotic treatment against toxoplasmosis is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Further studies are necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms of these associations. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04928-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Yi Yang
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Chien Chien
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwanese Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Association, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hsiang Chung
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwanese Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Association, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Yu Su
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Yu Lai
- Graduate Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chuan-Chi Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nian-Sheng Tzeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Student Counseling Center, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
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34
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Austhof E, Boyd K, Schaefer K, McFadden C, Owusu-Dommey A, Hoffman S, Villa-Zapata L, McClelland DJ, Pogreba-Brown K. Scoping Review of Toxoplasma Postinfectious Sequelae. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2021; 18:687-701. [PMID: 34292763 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2021.0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous economic estimates of infection with Toxoplasma gondii and chronic sequelae following infection lack sufficient data to establish the true burden of disease and its chronic sequelae. This scoping review aims to fill this gap by updating existing literature regarding the development of postinfectious sequelae following T. gondii infection. Literature published between January 1, 2000, and November 6, 2018, in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus was searched for a wide range of postinfectious sequelae and economic estimate terms. This scoping review includes summaries from the 108 articles covering 5 main groupings of outcomes (categories are not exclusive) including vision disorders (n = 58), psychological and mental health disorders (n = 27), neurological disorders (n = 17), fetal death and infection (n = 15), and hearing loss (n = 6), as well as a description of other outcomes reported. While the majority of the included studies assessed the incidence of these outcomes postinfection, very few followed participants long-term. These prospective studies are needed to understand the true burden of postinfectious sequelae over the life course, particularly because congenital infection with Toxoplasma can lead to severe outcomes for newborns. This scoping review can be used as an important resource for other researchers wishing to conduct future systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as well as for policy makers interested in developing guidance for public and health care partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Austhof
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Kylie Boyd
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Kenzie Schaefer
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Caitlyn McFadden
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Ama Owusu-Dommey
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Sandra Hoffman
- United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Lorenzo Villa-Zapata
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Kristen Pogreba-Brown
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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35
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Social preference is maintained in mice with impaired startle reflex and glutamate/D-serine imbalance induced by chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14029. [PMID: 34234237 PMCID: PMC8263783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93504-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan pathogen with a wide geographic distribution. The chronic phase of toxoplasmosis is often asymptomatic in humans and is characterized by tissue cysts throughout the central nervous system and muscle cells. T. gondii and other pathogens with tropism for the central nervous system are considered risk factors in the etiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, besides neurological diseases. Currently, it is known that cerebral toxoplasmosis increases dopamine levels in the brain and it is related to behavioral changes in animals and humans. Here we evaluate whether chronic T. gondii infection, using the cystogenic ME-49 strain, could induce behavioral alterations associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and glutamatergic neurotransmission dysfunction. We observed that the startle amplitude is reduced in the infected animals as well as glutamate and D-serine levels in prefrontal cortical and hippocampal tissue homogenates. Moreover, we did not detect alterations in social preference and spontaneous alternation despite severe motor impairment. Thus, we conclude that behavioral and cognitive aspects are maintained even though severe neural damage is observed by chronic infection of C57Bl/6 mice with the ME-49 strain.
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36
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Dupont D, Lin JS, Peyron F, Akaoka H, Wallon M. Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection and sleep-wake alterations in mice. CNS Neurosci Ther 2021; 27:895-907. [PMID: 34085752 PMCID: PMC8265947 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) is an intracellular parasite infecting more than a third of the human population. Yet, the impact of Tg infection on sleep, a highly sensitive index of brain functions, remains unknown. We designed an experimental mouse model of chronic Tg infection to assess the effects on sleep-wake states. METHODS Mice were infected using cysts of the type II Prugniaud strain. We performed chronic sleep-wake recordings and monitoring as well as EEG power spectral density analysis in order to assess the quantitative and qualitative changes of sleep-wake states. Pharmacological approach was combined to evaluate the direct impact of the infection and inflammation caused by Tg. RESULTS Infected mouse exhibited chronic sleep-wake alterations over months, characterized by a marked increase (>20%) in time spent awake and in cortical EEG θ power density of all sleep-wake states. Meanwhile, slow-wave sleep decreased significantly. These effects were alleviated by an anti-inflammatory treatment using corticosteroid dexamethasone. CONCLUSION We demonstrated for the first time the direct consequences of Tg infection on sleep-wake states. The persistently increased wakefulness and reduced sleep fit with the parasite's strategy to enhance dissemination through host predation and are of significance in understanding the neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders reported in infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Dupont
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Jian-Sheng Lin
- Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - François Peyron
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Hideo Akaoka
- Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Martine Wallon
- Institut des Agents Infectieux, Parasitologie Mycologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Physiologie intégrée du système d'éveil, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Hodge JM, Coghill AE, Kim Y, Bender N, Smith-Warner SA, Gapstur S, Teras LR, Grimsrud TK, Waterboer T, Egan KM. Toxoplasma gondii infection and the risk of adult glioma in two prospective studies. Int J Cancer 2021; 148:2449-2456. [PMID: 33427315 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T gondii) is a common parasite that shows affinity to neural tissue and may lead to the formation of cysts in the brain. Previous epidemiologic studies have suggested an association between glioma and increased prevalence of T gondii infection, but prospective studies are lacking. Therefore, we examined the association between prediagnostic T gondii antibodies and risk of glioma in two prospective cohorts using a nested case-control study design. Cases and matched controls were selected from the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort (CPSII-NC) (n = 37 cases and 74 controls) and the Norwegian Cancer Registry's Janus Serum Bank (Janus) (n = 323 cases and 323 controls). Blood samples collected prior to diagnosis were analyzed for antibodies to two T gondii surface antigens (p22 and sag-1), with individuals considered seropositive if antibodies to either antigen were detected. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for each cohort. In both cohorts, a suggestive increase in glioma risk was observed among those infected with T gondii (OR: 2.70; 95% CI: 0.96-7.62 for CPSII-NC; OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.85-2.07 for Janus), particularly among participants with high antibody titers specific to the sag-1 antigen (CPSII-NC OR: 3.35, 95% CI: 0.99-11.38; Janus OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.02-3.14). Our findings provide the first prospective evidence of an association between T gondii infection and risk of glioma. Further studies with larger case numbers are needed to confirm a potential etiologic role for T gondii in glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Hodge
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anna E Coghill
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Youngchul Kim
- Department of Biostatistics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Noemi Bender
- Infections and Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephanie A Smith-Warner
- Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan Gapstur
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lauren R Teras
- Department of Population Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tom K Grimsrud
- Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tim Waterboer
- Infections and Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kathleen M Egan
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Milne G, Webster JP, Walker M. Toward Improving Interventions Against Toxoplasmosis by Identifying Routes of Transmission Using Sporozoite-specific Serological Tools. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 71:e686-e693. [PMID: 32280956 PMCID: PMC7744992 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Horizontal transmission of Toxoplasma gondii occurs primarily via ingestion of environmental oocysts or consumption of undercooked/raw meat containing cyst-stage bradyzoites. The relative importance of these 2 transmission routes remains unclear. Oocyst infection can be distinguished from bradyzoite infection by identification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against T. gondii embryogenesis-related protein (TgERP). These antibodies are, however, thought to persist for only 6-8 months in human sera, limiting the use of TgERP serology to only those patients recently exposed to T. gondii. Yet recent serological survey data indicate a more sustained persistence of anti-TgERP antibodies. Elucidating the duration of anti-TgERP IgG will help to determine whether TgERP serology has epidemiological utility for quantifying the relative importance of different routes of T. gondii transmission. METHODS We developed a serocatalytic mathematical model to capture the change in seroprevalence of non-stage-specific IgG and anti-TgERP IgG antibodies with human age. The model was fitted to published datasets collected in an endemic region of Brazil to estimate the duration of anti-TgERP IgG antibodies, accounting for variable age-force of infection profiles and uncertainty in the diagnostic performance of TgERP serology. RESULTS We found that anti-TgERP IgG persists for substantially longer than previously recognized, with estimates ranging from 8.3 to 41.1 years. The Brazilian datasets were consistent with oocysts being the predominant transmission route in these settings. CONCLUSIONS The longer than previously recognized duration of anti-TgERP antibodies indicates that anti-TgERP serology could be a useful tool for delineating T. gondii transmission routes in human populations. TgERP serology may therefore be an important epidemiological tool for informing the design of tailored, setting-specific public health information campaigns and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Milne
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.,London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne P Webster
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.,London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Walker
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.,London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
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Asgari Q, Mousaei Sisakht M, Naderi Shahabadi S, Karami F, Omidian M. Serum Tyrosine Level in Acute Murine Toxoplasmosis. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2021; 15:568-575. [PMID: 33884014 PMCID: PMC8039484 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v15i4.4866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. This global infectious disease has been associated with behavioral changes in rodents and can result in humans' neuropsychiatric symptoms. Since the neurotransmitters alteration can cause a behavioral change, in this study, tyrosine level, as a precursor of dopamine, was evaluated in acute murine toxoplasmosis during 2015 and 2016 in Shiraz, Iran. Methods At the first, 105 tachyzoites of T. gondii were subcutaneously inoculated to 50 BALB/c mice as experimental groups and 10 mice inoculated by PBS considered as the control group. After that, daily, one group of mice was bled, and sera were collected. Then, their serum tyrosine level was evaluated by HPLC method. Results After data analysis, the maximum mean serum tyrosine level was seen at 2th day of post parasite inoculation (0.0194 mg/ ml), with a significant difference compared to the control group (0.0117 mg/ ml, P=0.025). Moreover, the least quantity of serum tyrosine (0.076 mg/ml) was seen on the 5th day, after parasite inoculation, however, no significant difference was seen. Conclusion Serum tyrosine level increased in 2 d after inoculation of Toxoplasma, but the level regularly decreased in successive days. Tyrosine level increased by phenylalanine hydroxylase 2 days after inoculation, then tyrosine decreased by tyrosine hydroxylase in the next days. Toxoplasma tyrosine hydroxylase enzymes, at primary days of toxoplasmosis, effect on tyrosine production, and after that, the most effect on tyrosine consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qasem Asgari
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mina Mousaei Sisakht
- Department of Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shahrbanoo Naderi Shahabadi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Forough Karami
- Central Research Laboratory, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Omidian
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Logroño Wiese PE, Seeber F, Endres AS, Brockmann C, Pleyer U. Screening for common eye diseases in the elderly with Optos ultra-wide-field scanning laser ophthalmoscopy: a pilot study with focus on ocular toxoplasmosis. Int Ophthalmol 2021; 41:1573-1584. [PMID: 33725270 PMCID: PMC8087594 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-020-01683-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Studies on the occurrence of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in a general population are rare. Therefore, we conducted this pilot study to assess whether a nonmydriatic ultra-wide-field (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) is suitable for a simple, rapid screening procedure. Methods The population of this cross-sectional study was randomly recruited from a cohort of hospital-based patients in an urban geriatric hospital. Ophthalmologic evaluation was performed on 201 eyes from 101 participants through nonmydriatic UWF-SLO (Optos Daytona) and assessed for suspicious lesions and other relevant ocular findings. All images were evaluated by two independent examiners. Individuals who presented lesions with a morphological appearance suggestive of OT underwent fundoscopy and serological analysis of Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies. Results The mean age of the study group was 76 years, and 63 (62%) were female. Despite many health restrictions, the SLO examination was carried out easily in this geriatric population. Three participants presented findings by SLO suspicious for T. gondii-related injury. Further clinical examination and serological investigation confirmed the diagnosis, with funduscopic evaluation and positive T. gondii ELISA testing. In addition, a high rate of arterial hypertension and dyslipidemias within the cohort led to a high incidence of vascular changes and age-related fundus findings. Conclusion In our study, we confirm that UWF-SLO technology is helpful in the rapid detection of peripheral retinal injuries in elderly patients such as OT and may be used as a routine screening tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Eduardo Logroño Wiese
- Department of Ophthalmology, Charité, University Hospital Berlin, Campus Virchow, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
| | - Frank Seeber
- FG 16: Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, Berlin, 13353, Germany
| | - Anne-Sophie Endres
- Evangelisches Geriatriezentrum Berlin, Reinickendorfer Str. 61, Berlin, 13347, Germany
| | - Claudia Brockmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, Charité, University Hospital Berlin, Campus Virchow, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin, 13353, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Doberaner Str. 140, 18055, Rostock, Germany
| | - Uwe Pleyer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Charité, University Hospital Berlin, Campus Virchow, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin, 13353, Germany
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Association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity and brain volume in adults: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245994. [PMID: 33544748 PMCID: PMC7864421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with worsened cognitive function in animal models and in humans. Despite these associations, the mechanisms by which Toxoplasma gondii might affect cognitive function remain unknown, although Toxoplasma gondii does produce physiologically active intraneuronal cysts and appears to affect dopamine synthesis. Using data from the UK Biobank, we sought to determine whether Toxoplasma gondii is associated with decreased prefrontal, hippocampal, and thalamic gray-matter volumes and with decreased total gray-matter and total white-matter volumes in an adult community-based sample. The results from adjusted multivariable regression modelling showed no associations between Toxoplasma gondii and prefrontal, hippocampal, and thalamic brain gray-matter volumes. In contrast, natural-log transformed antibody levels against the Toxoplasma gondii p22 (b = -3960, 95-percent confidence interval, -6536 to -1383, p < .01) and sag1 (b = -4863, 95-percent confidence interval, –8301 to -1425, p < .01) antigens were associated with smaller total gray-matter volume, as was the mean of natural-log transformed p22 and sag1 titers (b = -6141, 95-percent confidence interval, -9886 to -2397, p < .01). There were no associations between any of the measures of Toxoplasma gondii and total white-matter volume. These findings suggest that Toxoplasma gondii might be associated with decreased total gray-matter in middle-aged and older middle-aged adults in a community-based sample from the United Kingdom.
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Gale SD, Erickson LD, Thacker EL, Mitchell EL, Brown BL, Hedges DW. Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity and cognitive function in adults. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008733. [PMID: 33057346 PMCID: PMC7561134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infecting approximately one-third of the world's human population, Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with cognitive function. Here, we sought to further characterize the association between Toxoplasma gondii and cognitive function in a community sample of adults aged approximately 40 to70 years. Using adjusted linear regression models, we found associations of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity with worse reasoning (b = -.192, p < .05) and matrix pattern completion (b = -.681, p < .01), of higher anti-Toxoplasma gondii p22 antibody levels with worse reasoning (b = -.078, p < .01) and slower Trails (numeric) performance (b = 5.962, p < .05), of higher anti-Toxoplasma gondii sag1 levels with worse reasoning (b = -.081, p < .05) and worse matrix pattern completion (b = -.217, p < .05), and of higher mean of the anti-Toxoplasma gondii p22 and sag1 levels with worse reasoning (b = -.112, p < .05), slower Trails (numeric) performance (b = 9.195, p < .05), and worse matrix pattern completion (b = -.245, p < .05). Neither age nor educational attainment moderated associations between the measures of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity or serointensity. Sex, however, moderated the association between the sag1 titer and digit-symbol substitution and the association between the mean of the p22 and sag1 levels and digit-symbol substitution, and income moderated the association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and numeric memory and the association between the p22 level and symbol-digit substitution. Based on the available neuropsychological tasks in this study, Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity were associated with some aspects of poorer executive function in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn D. Gale
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
- The Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Evan L. Thacker
- Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | | | - Bruce L. Brown
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | - Dawson W. Hedges
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
- The Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
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Toxoplasma gondii: AnUnderestimated Threat? Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:959-969. [PMID: 33012669 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been thought of as relevant to public health primarily within the context of congenital toxoplasmosis or postnatally acquired disease in immunocompromised patients. However, latent T.gondii infection has been increasingly associated with a wide variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and, more recently, causal frameworks for these epidemiological associations have been proposed. We present assimilated evidence on the associations between T.gondii and various human neuropsychiatric disorders and outline how these may be explained within a unifying causal framework. We argue that the occult effects of latent T.gondii infection likely outweigh the recognised overt morbidity caused by toxoplasmosis, substantially raising the public health importance of this parasite.
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Tao Q, Wang X, Liu L, Ji Y, Luo Q, Du J, Yu L, Shen J, Chu D. Toxoplasma gondii Chinese I genotype Wh6 strain infection induces tau phosphorylation via activating GSK3β and causes hippocampal neuron apoptosis. Acta Trop 2020; 210:105560. [PMID: 32492398 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a neurophilic and intracellular parasite that can affect plenty of vertebrate animals, including humans. Recent researches indicate that T. gondii infection is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease(AD). In addition, tau hyper-phosphorylation is a crucial event leading to the formation of nerve fiber tangles in AD. Despite the efforts to understand the interactions between T. gondii and AD, there are no clear results available so far. Here, we infected mice with the T. gondii of the Chinese 1 genotype Wh6 strain (TgCtwh6) for 60 days. Then we observed the formation of tissue cysts in the brain, the damage of neuron and the increased expression of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in the hippocampal tissue of the mice. Similarly, we also found that p-tau, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), and phosphorylated GSK3β (p-GSK3β) were upregulated in vitro in TgCtwh6 challenged hippocampal neuron cell strain, HT22 cells. We noted a down-regulated expression of GSK3β,p-GSK3β, and p-tau in HT22 cells, which were pretreated with LiCl, an inhibitor of GSK3β. These data suggested that p-GSK3β may mediate tau phosphorylation after TgCtwh6 infection. Furthermore, TgCtwh6 infection also caused the increased expression of Bax and Caspase3, the decreased expression of Bcl-XL in HT22 cells, which had both early and late apoptosis. In all, our results indicated that TgCtwh6 infection not only led to phosphorylation of tau via activating GSK3β but also promoted hippocampal neuron apoptosis. Our research may partially reveal the mechanism with which TgCtwh6 induce neurofibrillary pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Tao
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xianhe Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Heifei, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Parasitology, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yongsheng Ji
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qingli Luo
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Du
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Yu
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jilong Shen
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Zoonoses of High Institutions, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Deyong Chu
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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The prevalence of latent and acute toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104549. [PMID: 33010362 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE HIV in pregnancy is not only important for mother-to-child HIV transmission, but also it assumes additional importance because HIV increases susceptibility to opportunistic infections, leading to increased morbidity and mortality in mothers and neonates. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important opportunistic infections in HIV-infected pregnant women. The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis (LT) and acute toxoplasmosis (AT) infection in HIV-infected pregnant women. METHODS PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and SciELO were searched to identify relevant studies. A random-effects model was used to estimate the overall and subgroup-pooled prevalences across studies. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed via the I2 test. RESULTS A total of 14 articles that included 3256 subjects in nine countries met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence rates of LT and AT in HIV-infected pregnant women were 45.7% (95% CI, 32.3-59.7%) and 1.1% (95% CI, 0.4-3.2%), respectively. The findings indicate that, worldwide, approximately 559,000 and 13,450 HIV-infected pregnant women are affected by LT and AT, respectively. From this review, it is estimated that approximately 3432 babies annually could be born with congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) from HIV-infected pregnant mothers. CONCLUSIONS The present study indicates that a large number of HIV-infected mothers are affected by LT and AT. This can lead to adverse complications such toxoplasmic encephalitis in mothers and CT in neonates. Our results suggest a need for screening programs using well-validated diagnostic platforms for both LT and AT for all HIV-infected pregnant women.
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Ortiz-Guerrero G, Gonzalez-Reyes RE, de-la-Torre A, Medina-Rincón G, Nava-Mesa MO. Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration by Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060369. [PMID: 32545619 PMCID: PMC7349234 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite considered one of the most successful pathogens in the world, owing to its ability to produce long-lasting infections and to persist in the central nervous system (CNS) in most warm-blooded animals, including humans. This parasite has a preference to invade neurons and affect the functioning of glial cells. This could lead to neurological and behavioral changes associated with cognitive impairment. Although several studies in humans and animal models have reported controversial results about the relationship between toxoplasmosis and the onset of dementia as a causal factor, two recent meta-analyses have shown a relative association with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide accumulation, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation. Different authors have found that toxoplasmosis may affect Aβ production in brain areas linked with memory functioning, and can induce a central immune response and neurotransmitter imbalance, which in turn, affect the nervous system microenvironment. In contrast, other studies have revealed a reduction of Aβ plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau protein formation in animal models, which might cause some protective effects. The aim of this article is to summarize and review the newest data in regard to different pathophysiological mechanisms of cerebral toxoplasmosis and their relationship with the development of AD and cognitive impairment. All these associations should be investigated further through clinical and experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ortiz-Guerrero
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA;
| | - Rodrigo E. Gonzalez-Reyes
- GI en Neurociencias-NeURos, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia; (R.E.G.-R.); (A.d.-l.-T.); (G.M.-R.)
| | - Alejandra de-la-Torre
- GI en Neurociencias-NeURos, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia; (R.E.G.-R.); (A.d.-l.-T.); (G.M.-R.)
| | - German Medina-Rincón
- GI en Neurociencias-NeURos, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia; (R.E.G.-R.); (A.d.-l.-T.); (G.M.-R.)
| | - Mauricio O. Nava-Mesa
- GI en Neurociencias-NeURos, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia; (R.E.G.-R.); (A.d.-l.-T.); (G.M.-R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +57-1-2970200 (ext. 3354); Fax: +571-3440351
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El Mouhawass A, Hammoud A, Zoghbi M, Hallit S, Haddad C, El Haddad K, El Khoury S, Tannous J, Obeid S, Halabi MA, Mammari N. Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and schizophrenia in the Lebanese population: potential implication of genetic polymorphism of MMP-9. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:264. [PMID: 32460746 PMCID: PMC7254747 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02683-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma multiplication and its persistence into the brain cause a local neuroinflammatory reaction, resulting synthesis of neurotransmitters involved in neurological disorders, especially schizophrenia. The Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) protein can play a major role in this neuroinflammation. It can promote extravasation and migration of infected immune cells into the brain. The objectives of this study are to determine the possible association between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis and highlight the existence of gene polymorphism encoding MMP-9 protein's in patients presented both schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis. METHODS A case-control study was conducted on 150 patients with schizophrenia (case group), and 150 healthy persons (control group). Groups were matched with age, gender, and place of residence. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire and a serological profile assay for specific IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of gene polymorphism encoding MMP-9 was performed on 83 cases selected randomly. RESULTS Data show a significant association between toxoplasmosis (IgM+/IgG+ serological profile) and schizophrenia. Significant effects of raw meat consumption and contact with cats have been associated with the occurrence of schizophrenia. RT-PCR shows the presence of muted allele of MMP-9 gene in selected cases whose present T. gondii serological profile IgM+/IgG+ and IgM-/IgG+ respectively. CONCLUSION Toxoplasmosis may be one of the etiological causes of schizophrenia, and MMP-9 gene polymorphism could be involved in the occurrence mechanism of this pathology following Toxoplasma infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amata El Mouhawass
- Medical Laboratory Department, Holy Family University, Batroun, 5534 Lebanon
| | - Amale Hammoud
- Public Health Faculty, Jinan University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Marouan Zoghbi
- Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, 6096 Lebanon
- Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
- INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Santé Publique, Épidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Chadia Haddad
- Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, 6096 Lebanon
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CH Esquirol Limoges, IRD, U1094 Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Kinda El Haddad
- Medical Laboratory Department, Holy Family University, Batroun, 5534 Lebanon
| | - Saydeh El Khoury
- Medical Laboratory Department, Holy Family University, Batroun, 5534 Lebanon
| | - Jennifer Tannous
- Medical Laboratory Department, Holy Family University, Batroun, 5534 Lebanon
| | - Sahar Obeid
- Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, 6096 Lebanon
- INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Santé Publique, Épidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Beirut, Lebanon
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | | | - Nour Mammari
- Medical Laboratory Department, Holy Family University, Batroun, 5534 Lebanon
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Garrett MD. Multiple Causes of Dementia as Engineered Senescence. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES 2020; 2. [DOI: 10.24018/ejmed.2020.2.2.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
All traumas—cranial, cardiovascular, hormone, viral, bacterial, fungi, parasites, misfolded protein, genetic, behavior, environmental and medication—affect the brain. This paper itemizes studies showing the many different causes of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Causes interact with each other, act sequentially by preparing the optimal conditions for its successor, initiate other diseases, allow for other traumas to accumulate and degrade protective features of the brain. Since such age-related cognitive impairment is not exclusively a human attribute there might be support for an evolutionary theory of dementia. Relying on theories of antagonistic pleiotropy and polymorphism, the brain has been designed to sequester trauma. Because of increased longevity, the short-term tactic of sequestering trauma becomes a long-term liability. We are engineered to sequester these insults until a tipping point is reached. Dementia is an evolutionary trade-off for longevity. We cannot cure dementia without understanding the overall biology of aging.
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Poncet AF, Blanchard N, Marion S. Toxoplasma and Dendritic Cells: An Intimate Relationship That Deserves Further Scrutiny. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:870-886. [PMID: 31492624 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (Tg), an obligate intracellular parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, infects a wide range of animals, including humans. A hallmark of Tg infection is the subversion of host responses, which is thought to favor parasite persistence and propagation to new hosts. Recently, a variety of parasite-secreted modulatory effectors have been uncovered in fibroblasts and macrophages, but the specific interplay between Tg and dendritic cells (DCs) is just beginning to emerge. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on Tg-DC interactions, including innate recognition, cytokine production, and antigen presentation, and discuss open questions regarding how Tg-secreted effectors may shape DC functions to perturb innate and adaptive immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs F Poncet
- Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Université de Lille, Inserm U1019, CNRS UMR 8204, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Blanchard
- Centre de Physiopathologie Toulouse Purpan (CPTP), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France. @inserm.fr
| | - Sabrina Marion
- Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Université de Lille, Inserm U1019, CNRS UMR 8204, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France. @pasteur-lille.fr
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