Comparison of serum level of toxoplasma gondii antibody between patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy people

Introduction:  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the chronic inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. The cause of the disease has not yet been clearly identified. Environmental factors and infections, including the toxoplasma, are hypothesized to be the cause of the disease. Toxoplasma has important effects in diseases related to the nervous system. Our goal was to compare the serum antibody level against toxoplasma in patients with MS and healthy people in Sanandaj, Iran.   Methods:  In this case-control study, 100 patients with MS who were registered in the MS Society of Sanandaj and 200 matched healthy blood donors from the Sanandaj Blood Transfusion Organization (control group) were studied from 2015 to 2016. 5 ml blood sample was obtained from all subjects and then after isolation of patients sera, IgG antibodies against toxoplasma -antigens were measured by ELISA method. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and Chi-square test.    Results: Toxoplasma antigen was found in 13% of patient group (p=0.204) and 14.5% of control group, there is no significant difference between the levels of anti-toxoplasma antibody in the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The age of patients was between 20-40 years and the control group was also matched accordingly. The place of residence of all patients and all the control group was urban.   Conclusion:  It seems that toxoplasma gondii has not relation with MS.      

Keywords:

Toxoplasma gondii , Multiple Sclerosis , Antibody titers , ELISA method