Toxoplasma infection and autoimmune diseases

Infecting approximately one-third of the world's population, the intraneuronal parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with several autoimmune diseases. 

While Toxoplasma gondii may be protective against multiple sclerosis, other findings have negatively associated Toxoplasma gondii with different autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus. 

To further characterize the association between Toxoplasma gondii and systemic lupus erythematosus, a new group of investigators (DOI:10.1016/j.jtauto.2022.100163) completed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies looking at the association between Toxoplasma gondii and systemic lupus erythematosus. 

The primary results of a random-effects model showed an odds ratio of 2.34 (95% confidence interval 1.17-4.69, P = 0.017), indicating the odds of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity were 2.34 times higher in the group with systemic lupus erythematosus than in the healthy control group.