Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in Romanian psychiatric patients

Abstract

Introduction

Toxoplasma gondii infection has been recently associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.

Aim

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies among acute psychiatric patients from Western Romania.

Methods

This study included 214 consecutive patients admitted at the psychiatric clinic, Country Clinical Emergency Hospital in Timisoara, Romania, between 30.06.2011 and 12.01.2012. Clinical and laboratory investigations were performed in these hospitalized patients, including serologic tests for T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies.

Results

The 214 patients aged 19 to 71 years (mean = 42.5), 64.9% were females. T. gondii antibodies were detected in 117 (54.7%) of 214 psychiatric patients. When the data were analyzed by diagnostic groups, T. gondii antibodies were demonstrated in 30 (50.84%) of 59 patients with schizophrenia, in 28 (59.57%) of 47 with persistent delusional disorder, 10 (31.25%) of 32 with acute and transient psychotic disorder, 13 (54.16%) of 24 with schizoaffective disorder and 35 (70%) of 50 with bipolar disorder. A high prevalence of T. gondii antibodies was found among patients with bipolar disorder compared to those with schizophrenia (P = 0.043) acute and transient psychotic disorder (P < 0.0001) and healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Of the 18 patients with schizophrenia and a BPRS score <51, T. gondii antibodies were detected in 13 (72.2%) compared to 17 (41.4%) of 41 in whom BPRS score was >51 (P = 0.03).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that T. gondii infection may be associated with several psychiatric disorders. A high seroprevalence of T. gondii was demonstrated in patients with bipolar disorder.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.