IMMUNOBLOT ASSAY FOR TOXOPLASMOSIS IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS

Mohammed Youssef Saad*, Khaled Aly Temsah, Mona Abdel Daym, Walaa Abd Elmoniem Soliman, Mohammed Abu Alabas

ABSTRACT

Background: Toxoplasma gondii, is a common intracellular protozoan parasite, it can infect most nucleated cells, including astrocytes and neurons. According to many studies, Toxoplasmosis is one of the infectious causes of schizophrenia which is a severe mental illness. Patients and Methods: The study included hundred patients with symptoms and signs of schizophrenia and hundred normal persons as a control group. Detection of Toxoplasma IgG by ELISA and immunoblotting was done for all groups. Results: Out of one hundred schizophrenic patients Toxoplama gondii IgG was positive in 47 (47 %), negative in 51 (51%) of cases and equivocal in 2 (2 %) cases by ELISA. Toxoplasma IgG assay by immunoblotting for these cases were (52.0 %) in which seroconversion of five cases were detected (2 cases from equivocal plus 3 new cases who were negative by ELISA). Conclusion: There is association between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia. Immunoblot assay is a sensitive method for detecting toxoplasma gondii IgG seroconversion and confirming the equivocal results.

Keywords: Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Toxoplasma gondii, Schizophrenia, immunoblot and ELISA.