Seroepidemiological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infections in patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infections among patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City. Methods A total of 337 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, 624 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 384 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus living in Hangzhou City during the period from March 2017 through May 2020 were recruited as the study subjects, while age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers and pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus served as controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect serum IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii in patients with diabetes mellitus and controls, and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody was compared between diabetes mellitus patients and controls. Results The overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody (18.10% vs. 4.45%, χ2 = 31.38, P < 0.01) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (14.54% vs. 2.97%, χ2 = 28.28, P < 0.01) were both significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (3.56% vs. 1.48%, χ2 = 2.96, P > 0.05). The seroprevalence rates of serum anti-T. gondii (23.56% vs. 6.57%, χ2 = 70.37, P < 0.01) and anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (21.15% vs. 5.45%, χ2 = 66.73, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (2.40% vs. 1.12%, χ2 = 2.96, P > 0.05). In addition, the overall seroprevalence of serum anti-T. gondii antibody (26.30% vs. 19.53%, χ2 = 4.98, P < 0.05) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (23.70% vs. 17.71%, χ2 = 4.20, P < 0.05) were both significantly higher in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus than in pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (2.60% vs. 1.82%, χ2 = 0.54, P > 0.05). Conclusions The patients with diabetes mellitus present a higher seroprevalence rate of anti-T. gondii antibody than controls in Hangzhou City. Screening of T. gondii infections and health education pertaining to toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge should be reinforced in patients with diabetes mellitus.