TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between toxoplasma and the psychosis continuum in a general population setting
AU - Lindgren, Maija
AU - Torniainen-Holm, Minna
AU - Härkänen, Tommi
AU - Dickerson, Faith
AU - Yolken, Robert H.
AU - Suvisaari, Jaana
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by a grant from the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation (ML) and grants P50MH094268 from the NIMH (RHY) and by the Stanley Medical Research Institute (RHY). The funding organizations had no role in study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or in writing of the paper.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2018/3
Y1 - 2018/3
N2 - Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with increased risk for psychosis. However, the possible association between T. gondii and psychotic-like symptoms in the general adult population is unknown. We investigated whether T. gondii is associated with psychotic-like symptoms and psychosis diagnoses using data from Health 2000, a large cross-sectional health survey of the Finnish general population aged 30 and above. Seropositivity to toxoplasma was defined as a cutoff of 50 IU/ml of IgG antibodies. Lifetime psychotic-like symptoms were identified with section G of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Munich version (M-CIDI). Symptoms were considered clinically relevant if they caused distress or help-seeking or there were at least three of them. Lifetime psychotic disorders were screened from the sample and were diagnosed with DSM-IV using SCID-I interview and information from medical records. All data were available for 5906 participants. We adjusted for variables related to T. gondii seropositivity (age, gender, education, region of residence, cat ownership, and C-reactive protein measuring inflammation) in regression models. We found that T. gondii seropositivity was significantly associated with clinically relevant psychotic-like symptoms (OR 1.77, p = 0.001) and with the number of psychotic-like symptoms (IRR = 1.55, p = 0.001). The association between toxoplasma and diagnosed psychotic disorders did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.45 for schizophrenia). In a large sample representing the whole Finnish adult population, we found that serological evidence of toxoplasma infection predicted psychotic-like symptoms, independent of demographic factors and levels of C-reactive protein. Toxoplasma infection may be a risk factor for manifestation of psychotic-like symptoms.
AB - Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with increased risk for psychosis. However, the possible association between T. gondii and psychotic-like symptoms in the general adult population is unknown. We investigated whether T. gondii is associated with psychotic-like symptoms and psychosis diagnoses using data from Health 2000, a large cross-sectional health survey of the Finnish general population aged 30 and above. Seropositivity to toxoplasma was defined as a cutoff of 50 IU/ml of IgG antibodies. Lifetime psychotic-like symptoms were identified with section G of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Munich version (M-CIDI). Symptoms were considered clinically relevant if they caused distress or help-seeking or there were at least three of them. Lifetime psychotic disorders were screened from the sample and were diagnosed with DSM-IV using SCID-I interview and information from medical records. All data were available for 5906 participants. We adjusted for variables related to T. gondii seropositivity (age, gender, education, region of residence, cat ownership, and C-reactive protein measuring inflammation) in regression models. We found that T. gondii seropositivity was significantly associated with clinically relevant psychotic-like symptoms (OR 1.77, p = 0.001) and with the number of psychotic-like symptoms (IRR = 1.55, p = 0.001). The association between toxoplasma and diagnosed psychotic disorders did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.45 for schizophrenia). In a large sample representing the whole Finnish adult population, we found that serological evidence of toxoplasma infection predicted psychotic-like symptoms, independent of demographic factors and levels of C-reactive protein. Toxoplasma infection may be a risk factor for manifestation of psychotic-like symptoms.
KW - C-reactive protein
KW - Population
KW - Psychotic disorder
KW - Psychotic-like symptom
KW - Toxoplasma gondii
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U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2017.06.052
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2017.06.052
M3 - Article
C2 - 28711477
AN - SCOPUS:85023191808
VL - 193
SP - 329
EP - 335
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
SN - 0920-9964
ER -