ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026
Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case-control study in northern Iran.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe infectious hypothesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has gained traction, with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) proposed as a potential risk factor due to its neurotropic properties and ability to alter neurotransmitter systems. However, epidemiological evidence for an association remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between acute and chronic T. gondii infection and OCD in a region with high toxoplasmosis prevalence.
methodsA case-control study was conducted involving 120 OCD patients and 135 healthy controls matched for age and gender in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Serum samples were tested for anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit. Additionally, buffy coat samples were analyzed for T. gondii DNA using a nested-PCR assay targeting the 529 bp RE gene. We employed descriptive statistics to summarize demographic and clinical variables, used the Chi-square test for categorical data, and conducted independent-samples t-tests for continuous variables. Additionally, we applied logistic regression to evaluate the association between T. gondii infection and OCD, adjusting for confounding factors, with significance set at P < 0.05.
resultsThe seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG was not significantly different between OCD patients (55.0%, 66/120) and healthy controls (52.6%, 71/135) (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.67-1.81, P = 0.70). All participants were negative for IgM. Molecular detection by PCR was positive in 5.8% (7/120) of patients and 3.7% (5/135) of controls, a non-significant difference (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.44-4.08, P = 0.62). A significant correlation was observed between increasing age and IgG seropositivity in both groups (P < 0.05).
conclusionThis study found no significant association between latent T. gondii infection and OCD. The seroprevalence and molecular evidence do not support a direct causal role for T. gondii in OCD pathogenesis within the studied population. Further longitudinal research is needed to investigate this relationship.
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