<it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection with the protozoan parasite <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>may cause liver disease. However, the impact of the infection in patients suffering from liver disease is unknown. Therefore, through a case-control study d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2011-05-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Online Access: | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/75 |
| _version_ | 1811244944318267392 |
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| author | Liesenfeld Oliver Estrada-Martínez Sergio Torres-Berumen José Alvarado-Esquivel Cosme Mercado-Suarez Miguel |
| author_facet | Liesenfeld Oliver Estrada-Martínez Sergio Torres-Berumen José Alvarado-Esquivel Cosme Mercado-Suarez Miguel |
| author_sort | Liesenfeld Oliver |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection with the protozoan parasite <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>may cause liver disease. However, the impact of the infection in patients suffering from liver disease is unknown. Therefore, through a case-control study design, 75 adult liver disease patients attending a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico, and 150 controls from the general population of the same region matched by gender, age, and residence were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgG and anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the study subjects were obtained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seroprevalence of anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgG antibodies and IgG titers did not differ significantly in patients (10/75; 13.3%) and controls (16/150; 10.7%). Two (2.7%) patients and 5 (3.3%) controls had anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgM antibodies (<it>P </it>= 0.57). Seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>did not show any association with the diagnosis of liver disease. In contrast, seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>in patients was associated with consumption of venison and quail meat. <it>Toxoplasma </it>seropositivity was more frequent in patients with reflex impairment (27.8%) than in patients without this impairment (8.8%) (<it>P </it>= 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that <it>Toxoplasma </it>seropositivity in patients was associated with consumption of sheep meat (OR = 8.69; 95% CI: 1.02-73.71; <it>P </it>= 0.04) and rabbit meat (OR = 4.61; 95% CI: 1.06-19.98; <it>P </it>= 0.04).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>was comparable among liver disease patients and controls. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the association of <it>Toxoplasma </it>with liver disease. Consumption of venison, and rabbit, sheep, and quail meats may warrant further investigation.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:34:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-645d22e960544f249af1288f0fe9e939 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:34:13Z |
| publishDate | 2011-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-645d22e960544f249af1288f0fe9e9392022-12-22T03:29:10ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052011-05-01417510.1186/1756-3305-4-75<it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican populationLiesenfeld OliverEstrada-Martínez SergioTorres-Berumen JoséAlvarado-Esquivel CosmeMercado-Suarez Miguel<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection with the protozoan parasite <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>may cause liver disease. However, the impact of the infection in patients suffering from liver disease is unknown. Therefore, through a case-control study design, 75 adult liver disease patients attending a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico, and 150 controls from the general population of the same region matched by gender, age, and residence were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgG and anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the study subjects were obtained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seroprevalence of anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgG antibodies and IgG titers did not differ significantly in patients (10/75; 13.3%) and controls (16/150; 10.7%). Two (2.7%) patients and 5 (3.3%) controls had anti-<it>Toxoplasma </it>IgM antibodies (<it>P </it>= 0.57). Seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>did not show any association with the diagnosis of liver disease. In contrast, seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>in patients was associated with consumption of venison and quail meat. <it>Toxoplasma </it>seropositivity was more frequent in patients with reflex impairment (27.8%) than in patients without this impairment (8.8%) (<it>P </it>= 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that <it>Toxoplasma </it>seropositivity in patients was associated with consumption of sheep meat (OR = 8.69; 95% CI: 1.02-73.71; <it>P </it>= 0.04) and rabbit meat (OR = 4.61; 95% CI: 1.06-19.98; <it>P </it>= 0.04).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Seropositivity to <it>Toxoplasma </it>was comparable among liver disease patients and controls. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the association of <it>Toxoplasma </it>with liver disease. Consumption of venison, and rabbit, sheep, and quail meats may warrant further investigation.</p>http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/75 |
| spellingShingle | Liesenfeld Oliver Estrada-Martínez Sergio Torres-Berumen José Alvarado-Esquivel Cosme Mercado-Suarez Miguel <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population Parasites & Vectors |
| title | <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population |
| title_full | <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population |
| title_fullStr | <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population |
| title_full_unstemmed | <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population |
| title_short | <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection and liver disease: a case-control study in a Northern Mexican population |
| title_sort | it toxoplasma gondii it infection and liver disease a case control study in a northern mexican population |
| url | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/75 |
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