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Increased prevalence of toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

M. Sagud ,
S. Vlatkovic ,
D. Svob Strac ,
M. Sviben ,
M. Zivkovic ,
M. Vilibic ,
B. Vuksan-Cusa ,
A. Mihaljevic-Peles  and
N. Pivac
M. Sagud
Affiliation:
Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
S. Vlatkovic
Affiliation:
University Psyciatric Clinic Vrapce, Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
D. Svob Strac
Affiliation:
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry Division of Molecular Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
M. Sviben
Affiliation:
Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Zagreb, Croatia
M. Zivkovic
Affiliation:
University Psychiatric Clinic Vrapce, Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
M. Vilibic
Affiliation:
University Psyciatric Clinic Vrapce, Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
B. Vuksan-Cusa
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of Osijek, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
A. Mihaljevic-Peles
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
N. Pivac
Affiliation:
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry Division of Molecular Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

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Introduction

Previous studies suggested that patients with schizophrenia had an increased prevalence of antibodies against toxoplasma gondii (TG) and that those seropositive patients had higher symptom severity. However, there is no data on the relationship between treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and TG seroprevalence.

Objectives

To determine the association between TRS and TG seropositivity, and to further investigate the relationship between TG seropositivity and different clinical features of schizophrenia.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we included 210 male inpatients with schizophrenia. TG seropositivity was determined by ELFA assay. Treatment-resistance was defined as a failure of at least 2 adequate anti-psychotic trials. Data were analyzed using χ2 test or Mann–Whitney test.

Results

The rate of TG seropositivity in the entire sample was 52.3%, whereas 47.6% of patients met the definition for treatment-resistance. Seropositive patients had twice the rate of treatment–resistance compared to seronegative patients (63.6% vs. 30.0%, P < 0.0001). Moreover, in the seropositive group, the patients were older (47.6 ± 12.2 vs. 39.81 ± 12.01 years, P < 0.0001), had higher number of previous hospitalizations (13.9 ± 11.7 vs. 9.6 ± 8.5, P = 0.0073), and increased Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia (CDSS) total score (7.8 ± 4.5 vs. 6.3 ± 3.8, P = 0.012). There were no differences between the groups in the age of disease onset, smoking, positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) total, positive and negative scores, and the life-time history of suicide attempts.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that TG seropositivity might contribute to treatment-resistance in schizophrenia, at least in male patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
e-Poster Viewing: Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. s834
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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