Toxoplasmosis
Conditions
Brief summary
Chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is a widespread condition that can negatively affect brain function and is considered a risk factor for various psychiatric conditions, including depression and schizophrenia. This prospective observational study aims to investigate the expression levels of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in women diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder who also have chronic toxoplasmosis. By comparing these levels to patients without the infection, the study seeks to determine if these miRNAs can serve as biological markers to help differentiate between specific psychological disorders and identify the impact of chronic toxoplasmosis on mental health.
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTCirculating miRNA Expression and T. gondii Serology
Serology: ELISA testing to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG (confirming chronic infection) and IgM (excluding acute infection). Genetic Analysis: Quantitative Reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) to measure the expression levels of a predetermined panel of plasma miRNAs. Psychiatric Evaluation: Clinical diagnosis according to DSM-5 criteria.
Sponsors
Benha University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Confirmed psychiatric diagnosis of Schizophrenia (SCZ), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or Bipolar Disorder (BD) according to DSM-5 criteria. * Seronegative for T. gondii IgM (to ensure infection is not in the acute phase). * Signed informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
* Psychiatric disorders other than Schizophrenia, MDD, and Bipolar Disorder. Seropositive for T. gondii IgM (indicating acute infection). Refusal to participate.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Accuracy of Plasma miRNA Expression for Detecting Chronic Toxoplasmosis in Psychiatric Patients | 2-3 Months | The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) used to determine the diagnostic performance of circulating microRNA fold-change (measured by qRT-PCR) in discriminating between patients with and without chronic T. gondii infection (confirmed by anti-Toxoplasma IgG ELISA). |
Countries
Egypt
Contacts
CONTACTHeba Abo El Ela, MD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBasma Salem, MD
Assistant Professor Clinical and Chemical Pathology. Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDina Abd El hadi, MD
Assistant Professor Medical Parasitology. Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt
Outcome results
None listed