Schizophrenia Bulletin Advance Access originally published online on February 28, 2007
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2007 33(3):741-744; doi:10.1093/schbul/sbm009
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Early Infections of Toxoplasma gondii and the Later Development of Schizophrenia
2 The National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Taasingegade 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
3 The State Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
4 The Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +(45)-8942-6820, fax: +(45)-8942-6813, e-mail: pbm{at}ncrr.dk.
Early exposure to several infectious agents has been associated with the later development of schizophrenia. Two recent studies assessed in utero or early postnatal exposure to Toxoplasma gondii. In one study of 63 individuals, who developed schizophrenia spectrum disorders, maternal sera obtained during pregnancy showed an increased risk (OR 2.61) of having IgG antibodies to T. gondii. In the other study of 71 individuals who developed schizophrenia, sera obtained shortly after birth also showed an increased risk (OR 1.79) of having IgG antibodies to T. gondii. Causal linking mechanisms are at present speculative but include possible direct effects of maternal IgG on the developing central nervous system (CNS) of the offspring. Additional studies are underway.
Keywords: birth cohort / nested case-control study / biobank