Chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is a widespread condition that can negatively affect brain function and is considered a risk factor for various psychiatric conditions, including depression and schizophrenia. This prospective observational study aims to investigate the expression levels of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in women diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder who also have chronic toxoplasmosis. By comparing these levels to patients without the infection, the study seeks to determine if these miRNAs can serve as biological markers to help differentiate between specific psychological disorders and identify the impact of chronic toxoplasmosis on mental health.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
55
Serology: ELISA testing to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG (confirming chronic infection) and IgM (excluding acute infection). Genetic Analysis: Quantitative Reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) to measure the expression levels of a predetermined panel of plasma miRNAs. Psychiatric Evaluation: Clinical diagnosis according to DSM-5 criteria.
Benha faculty of Medicine
Banhā, El Qalyoubia, Egypt
RECRUITINGDiagnostic Accuracy of Plasma miRNA Expression for Detecting Chronic Toxoplasmosis in Psychiatric Patients
The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) used to determine the diagnostic performance of circulating microRNA fold-change (measured by qRT-PCR) in discriminating between patients with and without chronic T. gondii infection (confirmed by anti-Toxoplasma IgG ELISA).
Time frame: 2-3 Months
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