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Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with brain tumors in Southern Iran: a case-control study

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Abstract

Considerable evidence points to a dominant role of inflammation in tumor pathology. The biological response of the immune system can be triggered by Toxoplasma gondii as a common brain-tropic parasite. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between Toxoplasma infection and brain tumors. This case-control study was performed on sera of brain tumor patients (n = 124) and age- and sex-matched control subjects (n = 124) in Southern Iran. Data related to tumor site and type were collected during sample collection. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seroprevalence anti-Toxoplasma IgG was significantly higher in brain tumor patients 30.6% (38/124) compared with 12.1% (15/124) of the healthy controls (OR 3.211; 95% CI 1.658 to 6.219; p = 0.001). The highest seroprevalence was detected in patients with ependymoma (100%), followed by glioblastoma (83%), pituitary adenoma (47.3%), astrocytoma (27.2%), schwannoma (23%), and meningioma (22.6%). The parasite infection was correlated to brain tumor’s location i.e., the patients with frontal lobe and sella region tumors had higher seropositivity compared with others (P < 0.05). The higher prevalence of Toxoplasma infection among patients with brain tumor compared with the control group indicates a probable association between the infection and brain tumors.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the office of vice chancellor for research of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Grant no. 95-01-01-12998).

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The authors have not disclosed any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Qasem Asgari, Farshad Rajabi & Mohammad Saleh Bahreini

  2. Medicinal Plants Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran

    Fataneh Sajadian & Nasir Arefkhah

Authors
  1. Qasem Asgari
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  2. Farshad Rajabi
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  3. Fataneh Sajadian
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  4. Mohammad Saleh Bahreini
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  5. Nasir Arefkhah
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Contributions

QA and NA designed the study; FR and MS B collected the samples; NA, FR carried out the serological method; FS and NA analyzed and interpreted the data. NA drafted the manuscript; FS performed final revision and editing; all the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nasir Arefkhah.

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This study was the subject of the MD dissertation for Mr. Farshad Rajabi.

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Asgari, Q., Rajabi, F., Sajadian, F. et al. Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with brain tumors in Southern Iran: a case-control study. J Parasit Dis 47, 291–296 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-022-01541-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-022-01541-y

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