Fábio Barreto Morais1, Tiago Eugênio Faria E Arantes2, Cristina Muccioli1. 1. a Department of Ophthalmology , Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , SP , Brazil and. 2. b Department of Ophthalmology , Fundação Altino Ventura , Recife , PE , Brazil.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Recent studies have linked infectious agents such as Toxoplasma gondii to schizophrenia. We investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii and conducted ophthalmologic examinations in schizophrenia patients and controls to identify lesions suggestive of ocular toxoplasmosis. METHODS: During 2015 and 2016, 34 schizophrenia patients and 85 healthy controls underwent ophthalmologic examination and anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibody measurements by chemiluminescence. RESULTS: Schizophrenia patients had a higher prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG positivity than controls (91.18% [95% confidence interval (CI), 77.04%-96.95%] vs. 70.59% [95% CI, 60.18%-79.21%]; p = 0.017). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies (acute form) were not detected in any patient. One (3%) schizophrenic patient and two (2.4%) control patients presented fundoscopic scarring. CONCLUSION: The seropositivity rate was significantly higher among schizophrenia patients than among controls (p = 0.017). There was no association between the presence of fundoscopic scarring and schizophrenia (p = 1.000).
PURPOSE: Recent studies have linked infectious agents such as Toxoplasma gondii to schizophrenia. We investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii and conducted ophthalmologic examinations in schizophreniapatients and controls to identify lesions suggestive of ocular toxoplasmosis. METHODS: During 2015 and 2016, 34 schizophreniapatients and 85 healthy controls underwent ophthalmologic examination and anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibody measurements by chemiluminescence. RESULTS:Schizophreniapatients had a higher prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG positivity than controls (91.18% [95% confidence interval (CI), 77.04%-96.95%] vs. 70.59% [95% CI, 60.18%-79.21%]; p = 0.017). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies (acute form) were not detected in any patient. One (3%) schizophrenicpatient and two (2.4%) control patients presented fundoscopic scarring. CONCLUSION: The seropositivity rate was significantly higher among schizophreniapatients than among controls (p = 0.017). There was no association between the presence of fundoscopic scarring and schizophrenia (p = 1.000).