ABSTRACT
Toxoplasma gondii has worldwide distribution in nearly one-third of the human population. It is a neurotropic protozoan parasite so a potential role of T. gondii infection for some neuropsychiatric disorders was postulated. Patients with psychiatric disorders had high toxoplasmosis seroprevalence. Limited information about toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in psychiatric patients was known in southern area of Saudi Arabia. The current cross sectional case control study aims at determination of the prevalence of T. gondii IgG and IgM in neuropsychiatric patients in Jazan Province. A total of 162 neuropsychiatric patients from Al-Amal hospital for psychiatric health and 162 subjects without neuropsychiatric manifestations from Jazan General Hospital, Jazan City, KSA. were enrolled in the study. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 [lCD-10 classification]. Serological analysis for latent toxoplasmosis [lgG] and active toxoplasmosis [IgM] was done using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA]. Investigations for the association with socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics in psychiatric patients were also done. The serofrequency of lgG antibodies among neuropsychiatric patients was significantly higher than that of the controls [35.8% vs 14.8%] P = 0.0022. OR 3.2 with 95% CI= [1.4952 to 6.8774]. However; serofrequency of toxoplasma IgM antibody between neuropsychiatric patients and controls was not statistically significant [P> 0.05]. Bivariate and multivariate analysis for socio-demographics and possible associated risk factors showed that contact to cats and/or dogs, eating under cooked meat, and contact to soil were significantly higher in neuropsychiatric patients than controls
ABSTRACT
Microscopic diagnosis of strongyloidiasis depending on detection of larvae in fecal samples is not sensitive, especially in asymptornatic patients, and development of reliable serological methods is imperative. Western blot [WB] technique showed promising results for the reactivity analysis in several parasitic infections. The objective of the present study is to identify relevant proteins of S. stercoralis filariform larvae [L3] using WB and a panel of serum samples for immunodiagnosis of strongyloidiasis. Material and S. stercoralis L3 were cultured from fecal samples of infected patients. The antigen was extracted and analyzed using SDS-PAGE. Sixty nine serum samples belonging to 3 groups of patients were analyzed and included in the study as: Group I [shedding S. stercoralis larvae in feces], group II [infected with other parasites], and group III [with negative parasitological results]. Reactivity of the resulting bands of S. stercoralis L3 antigen was analyzed with the serum samples using WB technique. Thirty four immunoreactive bands were detected in the WB analysis representing recognition of proteins with molecular weight [MW] varying from 19 to 214 kDa. Immunodominant proteins of 43, 41, 36, and 23/33 kDa were recognized respectively in 39%, 35%, 70% and 60% of sera from patients with confirmed strongyloidiasis; and in 29%, 21%, 21% and 30% of sera from those infected with other parasitic infections. One band [41 kDa] gave reaction with one serum sample from group III. It was concluded that the 43, 41, 36 and 32 kDa bands could be considered important tools for the development of diagnostic techniques for strongyloidiasis