Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and schizophrenia in the Lebanese population: potential implication of genetic polymorphism of MMP-9.
BACKGROUND
Toxoplasma multiplication and its persistence into the brain cause a local neuroinflammatory reaction, resulting synthesis of neurotransmitters involved in neurological disorders, especially schizophrenia. The Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) protein can play a major role in this neuroinflammation. It can promote extravasation and migration of infected immune cells into the brain. The objectives of this study are to determine the possible association between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis and highlight the existence of gene polymorphism encoding MMP-9 protein's in patients presented both schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis.


METHODS
A case-control study was conducted on 150 patients with schizophrenia (case group), and 150 healthy persons (control group). Groups were matched with age, gender, and place of residence. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire and a serological profile assay for specific IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of gene polymorphism encoding MMP-9 was performed on 83 cases selected randomly.


RESULTS
Data show a significant association between toxoplasmosis (IgM+/IgG+ serological profile) and schizophrenia. Significant effects of raw meat consumption and contact with cats have been associated with the occurrence of schizophrenia. RT-PCR shows the presence of muted allele of MMP-9 gene in selected cases whose present T. gondii serological profile IgM+/IgG+ and IgM-/IgG+ respectively.


CONCLUSION
Toxoplasmosis may be one of the etiological causes of schizophrenia, and MMP-9 gene polymorphism could be involved in the occurrence mechanism of this pathology following Toxoplasma infection.
['El Mouhawess|Amata|A|', 'Hammoud|Amal|A|', 'Zoghbi|Marouan|M|', 'Hallit|Souheil|S|0000-0001-6918-5689', 'Haddad|Chadia|C|', 'El Haddad|Kinda|K|', 'El Khoury|Saydeh|S|', 'Tannous|Jennifer|J|', 'Obeid|Sahar|S|', 'Halabi|Mohamad Adnan|MA|', 'Mammari|Nour|N|']
D000818:Animals D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan D016022:Case-Control Studies D002415:Cats D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007861:Lebanon D008297:Male D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 D008875:Middle Aged D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic D012559:Schizophrenia D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies D014122:Toxoplasma D014123:Toxoplasmosis
Schizophrenia Toxoplasmosis MMP-9 gene polymorphism CNS