Interações psicoimunológicas em pacientes com esquizofrenia infectados por Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characterized by positive symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) and negative symptoms (affective blunting and psychic withdrawal) with chronic episodes of relapse. The condition is multifactorial and involves genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. There is increasing evidence of an association between schizophrenia and T. gondii infection. Objectives: The overall objective of this thesis was to evaluate patients with schizophrenia by examining the clinical severity of the disorder and the underlying effect of chronic T. gondii infection. Its specific objectives were: I. to characterize the psychic and psychiatric profiles in patients with schizophrenia infected by T. gondii through peripheral blood; II. Compare the psychiatric profile with the presence of markers of chronic T. gondii infection and the recommended drug treatment for schizophrenia; and III. Describe the psychoneuroimmunological cycle involving T. gondii in patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Methodology: Epidemiological, clinical and psychiatric data, as well as peripheral blood samples from patients with schizophrenia treated at the Psychotic Disorders Outpatient Clinic at a mental health reference center in the northwest of São Paulo were collected and evaluated regarding the clinical severity of schizophrenia and markers for infection. by T. gondii by serological methods (ELISA) and (PCR). Results: The average age of the 132 patients was 43.32 (±12). Of this total, 82 (62.1%) were seroactive and 50 (37.9%) were non-seroactive. Among those with worsening symptoms (n=68), 40 (58.8%) were seropositive and 28 (41.2%) were seronegative. Patients with worsening symptoms had a higher concentration of IgG anti-T. gondii compared to patients without exacerbation (p < 0.0001) Conclusion: The results demonstrate that patients with schizophrenia who have chronic T. gondii infection have higher levels of psychotic traits.