Toxoplasmosis Seropositivity and Male Sex Hormones

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan disease with acute and chronic infections, caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii that can infect a variety of cells in almost all warm blooded animals including humans.
Aim: The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among males in Duhok city.
Materials and methods: Using ELISA (IgG and IgM), the relationship between toxoplasmosis and reproductive hormones including testosterone, free testosterone, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and its association with male sterility were also investigated.
Results: 22.98% of male samples appeared to be affected by T. gondii infection. The mean concentrations of the male reproductive hormones were 6.15±1.03 ng/ml (total testosterone), 14.81±4.71pg/ml (Free Testosterone), 4.84±2.20 IU/ml (Folliclestimulating
hormone), 0.54±0.22 (IgM), and 0.62±0.75 (IgG). A significant difference was found in the samples in terms of infertility (p<0.0001), while p-values for testosterone (P>0.05), free testosterone (P>0.05) and follicle-stimulating hormone (P>0.05), were non-significant.
Conclusion: The present study showed a high rate of T. gondii among males in Duhok city with significant difference (P<0.05) in infertility between T. gondii seropositive and seronegative samples