Toxoplasma gondii: bystander or cofactor in rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract

Parasitic infections may induce variable immunomodulatory effects and control of autoimmune disease. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a ubiquitous intracellular protozoan that was recently associated with autoimmunity. This study was undertaken to investigate the seroprevalence and clinical correlation of anti-T. gondii antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We evaluated sera from European patients with RA (n = 125) and SLE (n = 164) for the prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (ATXAb), as well as other common infections such as Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, and Rubella virus. The rates of seropositivity were determined utilizing the LIAISON chemiluminescent immunoassays (DiaSorin, Italy). Our results showed a higher seroprevalence of ATXAb in RA patients, as compared with SLE patients [63 vs. 36 %, respectively (p = 0.01)]. The rates of seropositivity of IgG against other infectious agents were comparable between RA and SLE patients. ATXAb-seropositivity was associated with older age of RA patients, although it did not correlate with RA disease activity and other manifestations of the disease. In conclusion, our data suggest a possible link between exposure to T. gondii infection and RA.

• Authors: Svetlana Fischer, Nancy Agmon-Levin, Yinon Shapira, Bat-Sheva Porat Katz, Eduard Graell, Ricard Cervera, Ljudmila Stojanovich, Jose A Gómez Puerta, Raimon Sanmartí, Yehuda Shoenfeld
• Journal: Immunologic research (Immunol Res) Vol. 56 Issue 2-3 Pg. 287-92 (Jul 2013) ISSN: 1559-0755 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23553228 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Protozoan
• Immunoglobulin G

Topics

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Antibodies, Protozoan (blood)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology)
• Environmental Exposure (adverse effects)
• Europe
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (blood)
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic (diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology)
• Middle Aged
• Seroepidemiologic Studies
• Toxoplasma (immunology)
• Toxoplasmosis (diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology)
• Virus Diseases (diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology)