Review article

Toxoplasma gondii in psychiatric disorders

Edita Šandrk orcid.org/0000-0002-9325-8507 ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Šagud orcid.org/0000-0001-9620-2181 ; Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Suzana Vlatković ; Dr Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Popovača, Croatia
Mario Sviben ; Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Microbiology Service, Parasitology Department, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite which usually invades endothelial cells and
neural tissue. Over the past years there has been an increasing interest in the possibility of an association
of Toxoplasma gondii infection and psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia is the most frequently analyzed
in this field. However, Toxoplasma gondii infection can also be linked with other psychiatric disorders,
such as obsessive-compulsive disorders and mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression.
It is well known that individuals with schizophrenia have dysfunctional neurotransmitters, especially
dopamine, glutamate and GABA. A possible mechanism by which Toxoplasma influences the function of
the dopaminergic system is that the genome of Toxoplasma contains two genes for the enzyme tyrosine
hydroxylase, the key enzyme for the synthesis of dopamine. Tachyzoites induce more intense inflammatory
cytokine-mediated response. Cyst rupture in the brain could be related to the onset of mental diseases.
Toxoplasma gondii exposure has been associated with cognitive impairment in both schizophrenic and
non-schizophrenic subjects. Due to the growing interest in this subject in medicine, there the association
between the exposure to Toxoplasma and neurodevelopment disorders can be considered likely. However,
many of these questions are still unanswered.

Keywords

Toxoplasma gondii; psychiatric disorders; schizophrenia; cognitive impairment

Hrčak ID:

162828

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162828

Publication date:

3.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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