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Giese L, Seeber F, Aebischer A, Kuhnert R, Schlaud M, Stark K, Wilking H. Toxoplasma gondii Infections and Associated Factors in Female Children and Adolescents, Germany. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:995-999. [PMID: 38666641 PMCID: PMC11060440 DOI: 10.3201/eid3005.231045] [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] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In a representative sample of female children and adolescents in Germany, Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was 6.3% (95% CI 4.7%-8.0%). With each year of life, the chance of being seropositive increased by 1.2, indicating a strong force of infection. Social status and municipality size were found to be associated with seropositivity.
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Baker TL, Wright DK, Uboldi AD, Tonkin CJ, Vo A, Wilson T, McDonald SJ, Mychasiuk R, Semple BD, Sun M, Shultz SR. A pre-existing Toxoplasma gondii infection exacerbates the pathophysiological response and extent of brain damage after traumatic brain injury in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:14. [PMID: 38195485 PMCID: PMC10775436 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03014-w] [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] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a key contributor to global morbidity that lacks effective treatments. Microbial infections are common in TBI patients, and their presence could modify the physiological response to TBI. It is estimated that one-third of the human population is incurably infected with the feline-borne parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which can invade the central nervous system and result in chronic low-grade neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity-all of which are also important pathophysiological processes in TBI. Considering the large number of TBI patients that have a pre-existing T. gondii infection prior to injury, and the potential mechanistic synergies between the conditions, this study investigated how a pre-existing T. gondii infection modified TBI outcomes across acute, sub-acute and chronic recovery in male and female mice. Gene expression analysis of brain tissue found that neuroinflammation and immune cell markers were amplified in the combined T. gondii + TBI setting in both males and females as early as 2-h post-injury. Glutamatergic, neurotoxic, and oxidative stress markers were altered in a sex-specific manner in T. gondii + TBI mice. Structural MRI found that male, but not female, T. gondii + TBI mice had a significantly larger lesion size compared to their uninfected counterparts at 18-weeks post-injury. Similarly, diffusion MRI revealed that T. gondii + TBI mice had exacerbated white matter tract abnormalities, particularly in male mice. These novel findings indicate that a pre-existing T. gondii infection affects the pathophysiological aftermath of TBI in a sex-dependent manner, and may be an important modifier to consider in the care and prognostication of TBI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara L Baker
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - David K Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Alessandro D Uboldi
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, , The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, , The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Anh Vo
- Monash Health Translation Precinct, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Trevor Wilson
- Monash Health Translation Precinct, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stuart J McDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Bridgette D Semple
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Mujun Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Sandy R Shultz
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 6th Floor, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Health Sciences, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.
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Parvin I, Das SK, Ahmed S, Rahman A, Shahid ASMSB, Shahrin L, Afroze F, Ackhter MM, Alam T, Jahan Y, Palit P, Sarker MHR, Das J, Hoque ME, Magalhães RJS, Mamun AA, Faruque ASG, Ahmed T, Chisti MJ. Toxoplasma gondii Infection Is Associated with Low Birth Weight: Findings from an Observational Study among Rural Bangladeshi Women. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11030336. [PMID: 35335660 PMCID: PMC8954211 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection may cause substantial adverse effects on developing fetuses, newborns and also mothers. This study aims to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii among rural Bangladeshi pregnant women and determine the risk of a low birth weight (LBW). We followed a longitudinal design where 208 pregnant women were followed until the birth of their infants. Levels of IgG and IgM of T. gondii were assessed using chemiluminescent immunoassay. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted associations and multiple regression analysis was performed to understand the confounding and modifying effects of the variables. Thirty-nine (19%) children were born with LBW, among whom 15 (39%) mothers were positive for T. gondii IgG during pregnancy. After adjusting for several confounders and modifiers, pregnant women with T. gondii IgG or IgM seropositivity were significantly associated with LBW of infants (aRR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.17–3.42). The strength of this association increased after adjusting for maternal education (aRR: 4.88, 95% CI: 1.74–13.69). The final model had an AROC of 0.84 with a sensitivity of 36% and specificity of 97%. Although causality is yet to be established, the study observed an association between T. gondii infection during pregnancy among rural Bangladeshi women and LBW of newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irin Parvin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Sumon Kumar Das
- Menzies—School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811, Australia
- Correspondence: or (S.K.D.); (A.S.G.F.)
| | - Shahnawaz Ahmed
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Aminur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayeem Bin Shahid
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Lubaba Shahrin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Farzana Afroze
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Mst. Mahmuda Ackhter
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Tahmina Alam
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Yasmin Jahan
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Parag Palit
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Mohammad Habibur Rahman Sarker
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Jui Das
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Mohammad Enamul Hoque
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Ricardo J. Soares Magalhães
- UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia;
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, UQ Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Abu Syed Golam Faruque
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
- Correspondence: or (S.K.D.); (A.S.G.F.)
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Mohammod Jobayer Chisti
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; (I.P.); (A.R.); (A.S.M.S.B.S.); (L.S.); (F.A.); (M.M.A.); (T.A.); (Y.J.); (P.P.); (M.H.R.S.); (T.A.); (M.J.C.)
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Cai J, Sheng Z, Jin Y, Du Y, Yan X, Yao Y. Potential linkage between Toxoplasma gondii infection and physical education scores of college students. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241653. [PMID: 33657102 PMCID: PMC7928503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide protozoan parasite that could infect virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in college students at Anhui province, China and to assess risk factors for T. gondii infection in college students. Moreover, growing studies demonstrated the association between T. gondii infection and host behavioral changes. We also studied the linkage between T. gondii and physical education (PE) scores of college students. Methods A total of 2704 serum samples of medical school students attending physical education lessons were collected from September 2017 to September 2019 and evaluated for T. gondii IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Questionnaires and statistical analysis were used to determine the risk factors for T. gondii infection. We also analysed PE scores of T. gondii -infected students and T. gondii-uninfected students. Results The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 11.5%. The main risk factors related to T. gondii infection in college students were cat in the household and gardening or agriculture activity. Furthermore, in the basketball group and the soccer group, scores of T. gondii seropositive students were significantly higher than those of seronegative students, while in other sports there was no difference between scores of T. gondii-infected students and T. gondii uninfected students. Conclusion This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in college students in Anhui province, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Cai
- Department of Physical Education of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Zhijin Sheng
- Department of Physical Education, College of Humanistic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Yu Jin
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Yinan Du
- Department of Human Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
| | - Xinlei Yan
- Food Science and Engineering College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- * E-mail: (XY); (YY)
| | - Yong Yao
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P. R China
- * E-mail: (XY); (YY)
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Wang S, Li H, Yao Z, Li P, Wang D, Zhang H, Xie Q, Zhang Z, Li X. Toxocara infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors among primary school children in central China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:30. [PMID: 32374716 PMCID: PMC7202827 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease that poses a threat to public health worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the seroprevalence of Toxocara infection among primary school children in Henan province, central China, which was previously unknown. Sera from 2451 primary school children were collected from September 2015 to October 2018, and evaluated for anti-Toxocara antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall seroprevalence of Toxocara infection was 5.14% (126/2451). The main risk factors related to Toxocara infection identified in this study were the age of children, residence area of children, contact with cats or dogs, and exposure to soil. Hand washing before eating was considered to be a protective factor. These findings demonstrate that Toxocara infection is relatively common among primary school children in Henan province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Haoran Li
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Zhijun Yao
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Pengju Li
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Dong Wang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Haizhu Zhang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Qing Xie
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Zhenchao Zhang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China
| | - Xiangrui Li
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 Henan, PR China - MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 Jiangsu, PR China
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