Süleyman Yazar

Could Toxoplasma gondii have any role in Alzheimer disease

BackgroundAlzheimer disease (AD), a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder, has a mainly unknown multifactorial etiology. Neuroinflammatory mechanisms might contribute to the cascade of events leading to neuronal degeneration. Central nervous system infections have been previously suggested as possible etiological agents in the development of sporadic AD. Toxoplasmosis can be associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible association between toxoplasma infection and AD. MethodsThis study evaluated the serum anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG levels. It included an age-matched and sex-matched study and control groups that consisted of 34 patients with AD and 37 healthy individuals, respectively. There were no difference between the socio economic states of the patients and control subjects. serecm anti – I – gondi IgG levels were measured by using ELISA. ResultsAccording to the statistical analysis, there were no significant differences among the patients and the control participants with respect to age (68.05±15.98, 62.91±5.89 y, P=0.072; respectively) and sex. The seropositivity rate for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies among AD patients and control groups were 44.1% and 24.3%, respectively, and there was significant difference between the serum anti-T. gondii IgG levels (P=0.005). ConclusionsOur findings suggest that toxoplasma infection may be involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of AD. If confirmed, a positive correlation between toxoplasmosis and AD may lead to new approaches for the management of AD.

May Toxoplasma gondii increase suicide attempt-preliminary results in Turkish subjects?

Suicide attempts are one of the risk factors of suicide. Possible mechanisms by which Toxoplasma gondii may affect human behavior and it may also cause humans to attempt suicide. The aim of this study is to find out whether or not T. gondii is one of the reasons in suicide attempts. We investigated the sero-positivity level for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in subjects who have attempted to suicide to find out whether there is a probable relationship between T. gondii and suicide attempts. In our study, we selected 200 cases of suicide attempts and 200 healthy volunteers. The sero-positivity level for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies among suicide attempts (41%) was significantly higher than the control group (28%). This signifies that there might be a causal relationship between toxoplasmosis and the etiology of suicide attempt.

Magnesium, Zinc and Copper Status in Osteoporotic, Osteopenic and Normal Post-menopausal Women

Serum concentrations of magnesium, zinc and copper were measured in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis (n = 40), osteopenia (n = 40) or normal bone mineral density (n = 40) as classified on the basis of the T-score of the femur neck and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry results. Mean concentrations of magnesium and zinc were significantly lower in osteoporotic women than in both osteopenic women and normal women. In addition, magnesium and zinc concentrations in osteopenic women were significantly lower than in normal women. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the osteopenic, osteoporotic and control groups with respect to copper levels. The clinical significance of these changes needs further elucidation, but trace element supplementation, especially with magnesium and zinc and perhaps copper, may have beneficial effects on bone density.

Investigation of probable relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and cryptogenic epilepsy.

PURPOSE Cryptogenic epilepsy, defines a group of epilepsy syndromes for which an aetiology is unknown but an underlying brain disease is suspected. We selected patients in this subgroup of epilepsy and investigated the sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). We investigated the probable relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and cryptogenic epilepsy. METHODS We selected 50 patients with cryptogenic epilepsy, 50 patients with known cause epilepsy and 50 healthy volunteers and investigated the sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by ELISA. RESULTS The sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies among cryptogenic epilepsy patients (52%) was found to be higher than healthy volunteers (18%) and known cause epilepsy patients (22%) with statistical significance, (X(2)=18.095, P<0.01). CONCLUSION There might be a causal relationship between chronic toxoplasmosis and the aetiology of cryptogenic epilepsy.

Is Toxoplasma gondii a causal agent in migraine

Background:Many different tissues may be parasitized by Toxoplasma gondii, particularly, lung, heart, lymphoid organs, and the central nervous tissues. Tissue cysts of this parasite in the brain may spontaneously rupture, releasing parasites that cause antibody titers to rise. In immunocompetent subjects with acquired toxoplasmosis, the most frequent symptoms were lymphadenopathy and headache. In the neurogenic inflammation theory of the pathogenesis of migraine, the cause of initial release of ions and inflammatory agents has not been established. In this study, we aimed to investigate if T. gondii infection is a possible cause of neurogenic inflammation of migraines. Methods:The anti–T. gondii antibody status of 104 patients with migraine were studied and compared with those of control groups, 50 healthy subjects and 50 subjects with headache due to rhinosinusitis, by using a micro–enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Results:Forty-six (44.2%) patients with migraine, 13 (26.0%) healthy control subjects, and 12 (24%) control subjects with rhinosinusitis were positive for anti–T. gondii IgG antibody. The rate of positivity in the migraine patient group was statistically different from those of the control groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions:The results show the presence of chronic Toxoplasma infection in patients with migraine. Toxoplasma infection may contribute to neurogenic inflammation as the pathogenesis of migraine, as many studies in the literature have reported that Toxoplasma infection causes biochemical and immunologic changes.

The schizophrenia and Toxoplasma gondii connection: Infectious, immune or both?

IntroductionRecent research has suggested a possible link between toxoplasmic agents and schizophrenia. We aimed to assess this by measuring Toxoplasma gondii-associated antibodies in schizophrenia patients and controlsMethodsWe used a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit to measure the level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies in serum samples from schizophrenia patients (n=40) and from a group of non-schizophrenic control subjects (n=37)ResultsAmong schizophrenic patients, 16 (40%) showed IgG seropositivity and two (5%) showed IgM seropositivity. Among the control group, five (13.5%) were found have IgG seropositivity and one (2.7%) showed IgM seropositivity. In our study we found that IgG T gondii antibodies were significantly higher in schizophrenia patients compared with controlsConclusionsThis study supports the theory that toxoplasmic agents may have a role in the aetiology of schizophrenia

Nosocomial Oral Myiasis by Sarcophaga sp. in Turkey

We present a case of oral myiasis in a 15-year-old boy with tuberculosis meningitis. The diagnosis was based on the visual presence of wriggling larvae about 1 cm in size and on the microscopic features of the maggots, especially those relating to stigmatic structures. The larvae were identified as third-stage larvae of Sarcophaga sp.

Stool sample storage conditions for the preservation of Giardia intestinalis DNA

Stool is chemically complex and the extraction of DNA from stool samples is extremely difficult. Haemoglobin breakdown products, such as bilirubin, bile acids and mineral ions, that are present in the stool samples, can inhibit DNA amplification and cause molecular assays to produce false-negative results. Therefore, stool storage conditions are highly important for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites and other microorganisms through molecular approaches. In the current study, stool samples that were positive for Giardia intestinalis were collected from five different patients. Each sample was stored using one out of six different storage conditions [room temperature (RT), +4ºC, -20ºC, 70% alcohol, 10% formaldehyde or 2.5% potassium dichromate] for DNA extraction procedures at one, two, three and four weeks. A modified QIAamp Stool Mini Kit procedure was used to isolate the DNA from stored samples. After DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using primers that target the β-giardin gene. A G. intestinalis-specific 384 bp band was obtained from all of the cyst-containing stool samples that were stored at RT, +4ºC and -20ºC and in 70% alcohol and 2.5% potassium dichromate; however, this band was not produced by samples that had been stored in 10% formaldehyde. Moreover, for the stool samples containing trophozoites, the same G. intestinalis-specific band was only obtained from the samples that were stored in 2.5% potassium dichromate for up to one month. As a result, it appears evident that the most suitable storage condition for stool samples to permit the isolation of G. intestinalis DNA is in 2.5% potassium dichromate; under these conditions, stool samples may be stored for one month.

Oxidative Stress in Vivax Malaria

Malaria is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The increase in lipid peroxidation reported in malaria infection and antioxidant status may be a useful marker of oxidative stress during malaria infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of antioxidant enzymes against toxic reactive oxygen species in patients infected with Plasmodium vivax and healthy controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined in 91 P. vivax patients and compared with 52 controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were 8.07±2.29 nM/ml, 2.69±0.33 U/ml, and 49.6±3.2 U/g Hb in the patient group and 2.72±0.50 nM/ml, 3.71±0.47 U/ml, and 62.3±4.3 U/g Hb in the control group, respectively. Malondialdehyde levels were found statistically significant in patients with vivax malaria higher than in healthy controls (P<0.001). On the other hand, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were found to be significantly lower in vivax malaria patients than in controls (P<0.05). There was an increase in oxidative stress in vivax malaria. The results suggested that antioxidant defense mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of P. vivax.

Evaluation of oxidative stress in cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Oxidative stress occurs when there is excessive free‐radical production or a low antioxidant level. The role of free radicals in the pathogenesis and in the progression of many diseases has often been discussed, but it has not been widely investigated in leishmaniasis. However, measurement of oxidants and antioxidants in the serum seems to be of great value. In this study, we aimed to determine lipid peroxidation levels as markers of oxidative stress in the serum of patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is a common health problem in our region of Southern Anatolia, Turkey. Forty patients aged between 5–50 years and forty controls aged between 5–50 years were included in the study. The LPO levels of the patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis were significantly higher (p<0.001) than those of healthy controls. As a result, it is possible to conclude that patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis are affected by oxidative stress, which may contribute to the progression of the disease.