The Korean Journal of Parasitology  2016;54(2):201-204

doi:10.3347/kjp.2016.54.2.201

High Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity among Brain Tumor Patients in Korea.

Bong Kwang JUNG 1 ; Hyemi SONG ; Min Jae KIM ; Jaeeun CHO ; Eun Hee SHIN ; Jong Yil CHAI

Affiliations

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Keywords

Toxoplasma gondii; seroprevalence; brain tumor; ELISA

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that can modulate the environment of the infected host. An unfavorable environment modulated by T. gondii in the brain includes tumor microenvironment. Literature has suggested that T. gondii infection is associated with development of brain tumors. However, in Korea, epidemiological data regarding this correlation have been scarce. In this study, in order to investigate the relationship between T. gondii infection and brain tumor development, we investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii among 93 confirmed brain tumor patients (various histological types, including meningioma and astrocytoma) in Korea using ELISA. The results revealed that T. gondii seropositivity among brain tumor patients (18.3%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher compared with that of healthy controls (8.6%). The seropositivity of brain tumor patients showed a significant age-tendency, i.e., higher in younger age group, compared with age-matched healthy controls (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study supports the close relationship between T. gondii infection and incidence of brain tumors.