1
|
Kazemi Arababadi M, Abdollahi SH, Ramezani M, Zare-Bidaki M. A Review of Immunological and Neuropsychobehavioral Effects of Latent Toxoplasmosis on Humans. Parasite Immunol 2024; 46:e13060. [PMID: 39072801 DOI: 10.1111/pim.13060] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis as a zoonotic disease has a worldwide distribution and can infect a wide range of animal hosts, as well as at least one third of the world's human population. The disease is usually mild or asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, but dormant tissue cysts survive especially in the brain for the host lifespan, known as latent toxoplasmosis (LT). Recent studies suggest that LT can have certain neurological, immunological psychological and behavioural effects on human including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, depression, suicide anxiety and sleeping disorders. LT effects are controversial, and their exact mechanisms of action is not yet fully understood. This review aims to provide an overview of the potential effects, their basic mechanisms including alteration of neurotransmitter levels, immune activation in the central nervous system and induction of oxidative stress. Additionally, beneficial effects of LT, and an explanation of the effects within the framework of manipulation hypothesis, and finally, the challenges and limitations of the current research are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, , Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Seyyed Hossein Abdollahi
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, , Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Ramezani
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, , Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Zare-Bidaki
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, , Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hamdy DA, Eid RA, Abdel-Tawab H, El-Badry MA, Abdallah AM, El Wahab WMA. Impact of latent toxoplasmosis on pneumonic and non-pneumonic COVID-19 patients with estimation of relevant oxidative stress biomarkers. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2024; 71:2024.008. [PMID: 38628099 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.008] [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: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Susceptibility to COVID-19, the most devastating global pandemic, appears to vary widely across different population groups. Exposure to toxoplasmosis has been proposed as a theory to explain the diversity of these populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible association between latent toxoplasmosis and COVID-19 and its probable correlation with markers of oxidative stress, C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin. In a case-control study, blood samples were collected from 91 confirmed (48 non-pneumonic; NP, and 43 pneumonic; P) COVID-19 patients and 45 healthy controls. All participants were tested for IgG anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and oxidative stress markers (nitric oxide [NO], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and reduced glutathione [GSH]), and CRP and serum ferritin levels were determined. In COVID-19 patients, IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 54% compared to 7% in the control group, with the difference being statistically significant (P ˂ 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found between the severity of COVID-19 and latent T. gondii infection. Latent toxoplasmosis had a strong influence on the risk of COVID-19. NO and SOD levels were significantly increased in COVID-19 patients, while GSH levels decreased significantly in them compared to control subjects (P ˂ 0.001 for both values). CRP and ferritin levels were also significantly elevated in P COVID-19 patients infected with toxoplasmosis. This is the first study to look at the importance of oxidative stress indicators in co-infection between COVID-19 and T. gondii. The high prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in COVID-19 suggests that T. gondii infection can be considered a strong indicator of the high risk of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Doaa A Hamdy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, College of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Ragaey A Eid
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and infectious diseases (Tropical Medicine Department), College of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef,Egypt
| | - Heba Abdel-Tawab
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A El-Badry
- Research Institute of Medical Entomology, General Organisation for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes (GOTHI), Giza, Egypt
| | - Abdelrahman M Abdallah
- Department of Chest Diseases, College of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Wegdan M Abd El Wahab
- Department of Medical Parasitology, College of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hasanzadeh M, Ahmadpour E, Mahami-Oskouei M, Musavi S, Parsaei M, Sarafraz N, Spotin A. Genetic diversity and seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in COVID‑19 patients; a first case-control study in Iran. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:42. [PMID: 38172676 PMCID: PMC10763165 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08964-9] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is a serious or life-threatening disease in immunosuppressed patients and pregnant women. This study examined the likely association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and COVID-19 patients with moderate illness. METHODS Seventy blood samples were collected from patients at the Health Reference Laboratory of Tabriz, Northwest Iran from April 2021 to September 2021. In addition, 70 healthy subjects of the same age (37 ± 15 years) and sex distribution were ethnically matched. Sera samples were examined for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies using ELISA. Nested-PCR targets were amplified based on the B1 and GRA6 genes. GRA6 amplicons were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis based on IgG titer was 35.7% in the COVID‑19 patients and 27.1% in the control group, representing not to be associated with the Toxoplasma seropositivity in COVID‑19 patients (P = 0.18) compared to healthy subjects. Anti-T. gondii IgM was not found in any of the patients and healthy individuals. According to PCR amplification of the B1 and GRA6 genes, the frequency of T. gondii in COVID-19 patients was 14.2% (10/70). However, no T. gondii infection was detected in the healthy group. The CD4+T cell count was relatively lower in toxoplasmosis-infected patients (430-450 cells/mm3) than in control group (500-1500 cells/mm3). High genetic diversity (Hd: 0.710) of the type I strain of T. gondii was characterized in the patients. Present results showed that consumption of raw vegetables and close contact with stray cats can increase the transmission of T. gondii to COVID-19 patients (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The current study revealed that T. gondii type I infection is unequivocally circulating among the COVID-19 patients in Tabriz; However, no significant association was observed between the occurrence of Toxoplasma and the severity of COVID-19. To make more accurate health decisions, multicenter investigations with a larger sample size of different ethnic groups of the Iranian population are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Hasanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ahmadpour
- Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Musavi
- Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of medical science, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Parsaei
- Vice chancellor for health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nazila Sarafraz
- Vice chancellor for health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Adel Spotin
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gouda MA, AboShabaan HS, Abdelgawad AS, Abdel Wahed AS, A Abd El-Razik K, Elsaadawy Y, Abdel-Wahab AA, Hawash Y. Association between breakthrough infection with COVID-19 and Toxoplasma gondii: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17636. [PMID: 37848511 PMCID: PMC10582182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44616-3] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The breakthrough infection following COVID-19 vaccination has been a subject of concern recently. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy diminishes over time due to multiple factors related to the host, and vaccine. Coinfection with other pathogens was claimed earlier as a contributing cause for this phenomenon. Hence, we aimed to stratify the association of post-COVID-19 vaccination breakthrough coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and its impact on disease severity. This cross-sectional study included 330 COVID-19-vaccinated patients confirmed by RT-PCR. They were also screened for anti- T. gondii antibodies using ELISA. Toxoplasma seropositive cases' whole blood was screened for DNA using PCR to correlate results with COVID-19 severity. Out of 330 COVID-19 vaccinated patients with breakthrough infection, 34.5% (114 patients) showed positivity for Toxoplasma IgG by ELISA, and none of the cases was IgM positive. Eleven patients (9.6%) of the IgG-positive cases were positive by PCR. Positive PCR cases correlated positively with the Toxoplasma IgG titer (P < 0.001), and the Cutoff point was 191.5. Molecular analysis of Toxoplasma and COVID-19 severity showed that 8 (72.7%), 1 (9.1%), and 2 cases (18.2%) had mild, moderate, and severe courses of the disease, respectively, with no significant correlation. Our study reported a heightened prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis among mild cases of COVID-19 breakthrough infection. Nevertheless, a discernible correlation between latent toxoplasmosis and COVID-19 severity is lacking. Hence, implementing studies on a larger scale could provide a more comprehensive comprehension of this association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marwa A Gouda
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt.
| | - Hind S AboShabaan
- Department of Clinical Pathology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S Abdelgawad
- Department of Clinical Pathology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Aliaa Sabry Abdel Wahed
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Khaled A Abd El-Razik
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Yara Elsaadawy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection Control, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ayman A Abdel-Wahab
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Yousry Hawash
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|