Some Hormonal Assay in Toxoplasma Infected University Students

Background: Toxoplsma is a parasite with a global distribution that infect both human and animal, most of human toxoplasmosis is chronic infection. Chronic toxoplasmosis can affect human behavioral and hormonal status. Objective: In this study the effect of toxoplasmosis on the level of certain hormones (total testosterone, estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) have been investigated. Methods: One hundred and ninety serum samples from Kirkuk university students were assayed for Toxoplasma antibody (IgM,IgG), among them 40 (21.1%) samples were positive The serum of positive samples along with control group were assayed for some hormonal levels by using ELIS technique. Results: From the obtained results after conducting statistical analysis, it has been found that there is a significant differences in testosterone and estradiol concentration in both infected males and females comparing with the uninfected control cohort. The concentration range of testosterone were (12.8-15.5, 1.6-3.1 ng/ml) for each of infected male and female respectively which was significantly higher than the control (6.9-8.0,0.39-o.58 ng/ml) respectively for male and female. The estradiol concentration range in infected cohort were (34.3-39.6, 184.3-197.0 pg/ml) for male and female respectively, comparing with the control (22.2-26.9, 72.8-75.5 Kirkuk University Journal /Scientific Studies (KUJSS) Volume 11, Issue 3, September 2016 , p.p(66-80) ISSN 1992 – 0849 Web Site: www.kujss.com Email: kirkukjoursci@yahoo.com, kirkukjoursci@gmail.com 67 pg/ml) for male and female respectively. No significant differences were appeared between the FSH concentrations in infected and control cohort in both male and female. The infected males were a little taller and more depressed than uninfected one. Conclusions: From the current study we concluded that chronic toxoplasmosis can affect some hormonal concentration in human blood which may change or influence human behavior.


INTRODUCTION
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a protozoan parasite. Human and a wide range of animals are its host. The infection has a worldwide distribution. Its estimated that one-third of human population are exposed to this parasite. Human may remain infected for life and will stay asymptomatic unless immunosuppression occurs [1]. The hormone levels in a certain situations could be altered and the dissimilar effects on the immune system may induce resistance or susceptibility to different parasite attacks. The sharp elevated sex steroids could worsen toxoplasmosis; mainly through suppressing host immune-endocrine network (IEN) and progressing parasite replication [2].Higher incidence of Toxoplasma encephalitis was recorded within AIDS-defining females than in males, this support that female hormones possibly predispose latent toxoplasmosis [3] and was confirmed to stimulate higher parasite load in guinea pigs. The actual dynamics stimulating latency are still unknown; however various stimuli were studied including hormonal factor [4]. In Baghdad, male total and free testosterone hormone recorded higher significant mean in both acute and chronic toxoplasmosis person than in control subject [5]. The levels of testosterone hormone were higher in both males and females with positive toxoplasmosis than control in Al-Yarmok Teaching Hospital [6] In Al-Mahaweel healthy center in north of Babylon province pregnant women with chronic T. gondii infection exhibited significant increases of testosterone serum levels and significant decreased of prolactin serum levels in all trimesters, a significant increase occurred to progesterone in seropositive IgG pregnant women when compared with those of the control group during third trimester [7].
Progesterone and estrogen hormones were measured in a group of Toxoplasma infected Iraqi pregnant women in Baghdad, the chronic infected women had higher hormone concentration than acute one [8]. Acute and chronic toxoplasmosis males record significantly higher concentrations in both total testosterone hormone (TTH) and free testosterone hormone (FTH) than in control group. The mean concentration of FSH revealed non-significant differences between diseased and un diseased control [9]. A direct relation between Toxoplasma infection, cortisol and testosterone increase were observed in men and women patients referred to Sina hospital, Tehran, stress and anxiety index also increased in men and women whereas depression index increased only in men [10]. indirect support for the assumption that testosterone may be implicated in the personality and behavioral differences between Toxoplasma-infected and Toxoplasma-free subjects was provided in a study on students of the Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague [11]. In the current research we aimed to find out the effect of Toxoplasma infection on some hormone levels and behaviors in university students because of their positive effective and significant role in building the community and the country.

Study design:
The study was carried out during the period of January till May 2015, (190) serum samples were collected from Kirkuk university students age (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)years for Toxoplasma screening, the positive samples were assayed for some hormonal status namely testosterone ,estradiol E2, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) ,190 Toxoplasma negative samples were used as a control group. A personality questionnaire (depression, anxiety, and stress) also filled to each student. The tall of the students were recorded too.  Fifty μl of working testosterone enzyme reagent were added to all wells, fifty μl of testosterone biotin reagent were also added and mixed and incubated for 60 min at room temperature. The microtiter plate washed 3 times, one hundred μl of working substrate solution were added to all   Fig. (1) . About what concerning some behavior in infected and uninfected student, Fig. (2), 6revealed that the infected males were more jealous, suspicious, anxiety, depressed than uninfected one.
Whereas the females were more jealous and selfish thanunin fected one with no significant differences between the other female behavior.   concentrations between the seropositive and seronegative IgG pregnant women [7]. Both acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in males recorded significantly higher mean concentrations in both total testosterone hormone TTH, (12.188 ±0.73 ng/ml), (7.837± 0.52ng/ml) and free testosterone hormone FTH, (44.121±1.76pg/ml), (27.984±0.94pg/ml), in comparison to control group (6.455±0.48ng/ml) and (18.375±0.78 pg/ml) respectively. The mean concentration of FSH revealed no-significant differences in both cohorts [9].A statistically significant correlation between Toxoplasma infection and testosterone and cortisol increase in women and men were observed [10]. progesterone and estrogen hormones were measured in a group of Toxoplasma infected Iraqi pregnant women in Baghdad, the chronic infected women had higher (14.62 ng/ml, 108.02 pg/ml)) hormone concentration than acute one (5.35 ng/ml, 70.66 pg/ml) respectively for each of progesterone and estrogen hormones [8].Salivary testosterone levels was not statistically differed between Toxoplasma-infected and free males [12]. Toxoplasma-infected men had recorded a higher concentration of testosterone ,reversal to Toxoplasma-infected women whom recorded a lower concentration of testosterone than Toxoplasma-free controls [13]. The rate of testosterone synthesis was greater in testes of infected male rats with chronic toxoplasmosis comparing with control [14]. Various testosterone-related medical disorders can be attributed to latent toxoplasmosis that may also be involved in the etiology neuropsychiatric disorders [15].In our study the mean tall of infected males (178.6 cm) was taller with about 2.4 cm than uninfected one (176.2cm). while the females tall was not effected , also the behavior in infected was not identical to uninfected student, the infected males were more jealous, suspicious, anxiety, depressed than uninfected one. Whereas the females were more jealous and selfish than uninfected one. Toxoplasma infected male and female students had significantly higher extraversion and lower conscientiousness. The conscientiousness positively correlated with the duration of infection in men, suggesting that this may due to cumulative changes enhanced by latent slow toxoplasmosis , rather than acute quick infection [16]. Stress and anxiety index was increased in men and women whereas depression index increased only in men [10]. Chronic toxoplasmosis patients were taller and had lower sexual maturity age than uninfected ones [11].
Association between latent toxoplasmosis and human RhD phenotype can have an important role on psychomotor performance, personality and intelligence [17].Latent toxoplasmosis can effect hair abundance [9], Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [18] number of son [19], body mass, height and personality [20]. Even antiT. gondii antibody titers may be associated with the risk of traffic accidents [21].It's clear from the results of our and of mentioned studies that toxoplasmosis can influence both hormonal levels and behavior of infected individual, due to the complex interaction between the parasite presence, hormonal level changes and immune response, higher level of testosterone could be responsible for the toxoplasmosis-associated changes in human and animal behavior [11,14]. women patients with latent toxoplasmosis had increased NK-cell and monocyte counts in comparison with acute controls [22]. Toxoplasma gondii can elicits cellular immune response detected by increased levels of IL-12 and IFN compared with control. Not only host hormone can affect responses to infection, but parasites can both enhance production and alter hormone concentration in their hosts [6]. High levels of progesterone and estrogen and the diminished NK cell, macrophage and CD8+ may facilitate parasite survival and increase the higher possibility of latency of Toxoplasma [23].High levels of steroid hormones were associated with lower cellular immunity, which may contributes to the parasite survival in the body(hormones increase with weak immune system contribute to the parasite survive in body) [24].toxoplasmosis result in dopamine increase in brain which in its turn increase adrenal glands sensibility and secretion of hormones from hypothalamus hypophysis adrenal axis [25].Based on the finding of our study, the infection with Toxoplasma affect the concentration of some hormones in both sex and change human behavior in different ratios therefore its recommended to be periodically screened for Toxoplasma antibody among population especially university student because of their effective role in the community.