Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics
Abstract Background Heroin’s systemic effects relative to addicts’ characteristics have not been fully investigated. The frequencies of dopamine and α-fetoprotein and the coincidence of toxoplasmosis were assessed. Method The study involved 49 drug addicts and 48 healthy controls. Personal history w...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07055-0 |
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| author | Somaya H. Shaheen Enas A. El Saftawy Basma E. Aboulhoda Mona M. Abdulwehab Asmaa Ibrahim Marwa M. Zein Mohamed F. Farag Nagwan M. Salama Heba M. Elwi Naglaa SH. Elkholy Mansour Abdullah Alghamdi Mennat-Allah Tarek |
| author_facet | Somaya H. Shaheen Enas A. El Saftawy Basma E. Aboulhoda Mona M. Abdulwehab Asmaa Ibrahim Marwa M. Zein Mohamed F. Farag Nagwan M. Salama Heba M. Elwi Naglaa SH. Elkholy Mansour Abdullah Alghamdi Mennat-Allah Tarek |
| author_sort | Somaya H. Shaheen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Heroin’s systemic effects relative to addicts’ characteristics have not been fully investigated. The frequencies of dopamine and α-fetoprotein and the coincidence of toxoplasmosis were assessed. Method The study involved 49 drug addicts and 48 healthy controls. Personal history was taken. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM, dopamine, and α-fetoprotein in serum were measured using ELISA. Results Overall, 59.2% were ˃ 30 -years- old, 91.8% were low-educated, 85.7% had craftwork, 28.6% had a positive family history, and 49.0% used the intravenous route. Compared to healthy controls, a higher prevalence of Toxoplasma Ig G, significant dopamine reduction, and relatively increased α-fetoprotein were observed. Positive Toxoplasma Ig M serum levels were not recorded, and only 2 patients had equivocal levels. Among addicts, Toxoplasma-IgG levels were equivocal and positive in 18- to 30-year-olds and low-educated, equivocal in craftworkers (33.3%), positive in mental work (28.6%), with insignificant frequencies of relapses. Smoking duration and heroin consumption, all administration routes, and positive family history had relatively higher frequencies of negative anti-Toxoplasma IgG. Higher frequencies of abnormal α-fetoprotein were present in above-thirties addicts, craftwork, number of relapses, the number of cigarettes, early onset, longer duration, amount of heroin, positive family history, and combined routes of administration. Frequencies of decreased dopamine were in above-thirties addicts, graduates, craftworkers, lower relapses, and increased cigarette and substance use. Toxoplasma IgG and Ig M serum levels are inversely correlated with the respective duration and onset of smoking. The number of cigarettes positively correlated with α-fetoprotein. Dopamine correlated inversely with α-fetoprotein. Conclusion Higher past exposure to T. gondii was observed among drug addicts, which tended to be chronic latent, not active disease. Toxoplasmosis and altered dopamine and α-fetoprotein serum levels are potentially affected by age, social status, and cigarette consumption. Dopamine and α-fetoprotein alterations are coincident with increased heroin use. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83d6e47c14a2425aa33427d3ca62ec45 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-83d6e47c14a2425aa33427d3ca62ec452025-08-20T04:01:41ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-07-0125111010.1186/s12888-025-07055-0Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristicsSomaya H. Shaheen0Enas A. El Saftawy1Basma E. Aboulhoda2Mona M. Abdulwehab3Asmaa Ibrahim4Marwa M. Zein5Mohamed F. Farag6Nagwan M. Salama7Heba M. Elwi8Naglaa SH. Elkholy9Mansour Abdullah Alghamdi10Mennat-Allah Tarek11Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo UniversityAnatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kasr Alainy, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al Azhar UniversityDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Kasr Alainy, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Medical Physiology, Armed Forces College of MedicineDepartment of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kasr Alainy, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kasr Alainy, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine for girls, Al Azhar UniversityDepartment of Anatomy, College of Medicine, King Khalid UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo UniversityAbstract Background Heroin’s systemic effects relative to addicts’ characteristics have not been fully investigated. The frequencies of dopamine and α-fetoprotein and the coincidence of toxoplasmosis were assessed. Method The study involved 49 drug addicts and 48 healthy controls. Personal history was taken. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM, dopamine, and α-fetoprotein in serum were measured using ELISA. Results Overall, 59.2% were ˃ 30 -years- old, 91.8% were low-educated, 85.7% had craftwork, 28.6% had a positive family history, and 49.0% used the intravenous route. Compared to healthy controls, a higher prevalence of Toxoplasma Ig G, significant dopamine reduction, and relatively increased α-fetoprotein were observed. Positive Toxoplasma Ig M serum levels were not recorded, and only 2 patients had equivocal levels. Among addicts, Toxoplasma-IgG levels were equivocal and positive in 18- to 30-year-olds and low-educated, equivocal in craftworkers (33.3%), positive in mental work (28.6%), with insignificant frequencies of relapses. Smoking duration and heroin consumption, all administration routes, and positive family history had relatively higher frequencies of negative anti-Toxoplasma IgG. Higher frequencies of abnormal α-fetoprotein were present in above-thirties addicts, craftwork, number of relapses, the number of cigarettes, early onset, longer duration, amount of heroin, positive family history, and combined routes of administration. Frequencies of decreased dopamine were in above-thirties addicts, graduates, craftworkers, lower relapses, and increased cigarette and substance use. Toxoplasma IgG and Ig M serum levels are inversely correlated with the respective duration and onset of smoking. The number of cigarettes positively correlated with α-fetoprotein. Dopamine correlated inversely with α-fetoprotein. Conclusion Higher past exposure to T. gondii was observed among drug addicts, which tended to be chronic latent, not active disease. Toxoplasmosis and altered dopamine and α-fetoprotein serum levels are potentially affected by age, social status, and cigarette consumption. Dopamine and α-fetoprotein alterations are coincident with increased heroin use.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07055-0Toxoplasma IgG and Ig MΑ-fetoproteinDopamineHeroinCigarettes |
| spellingShingle | Somaya H. Shaheen Enas A. El Saftawy Basma E. Aboulhoda Mona M. Abdulwehab Asmaa Ibrahim Marwa M. Zein Mohamed F. Farag Nagwan M. Salama Heba M. Elwi Naglaa SH. Elkholy Mansour Abdullah Alghamdi Mennat-Allah Tarek Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics BMC Psychiatry Toxoplasma IgG and Ig M Α-fetoprotein Dopamine Heroin Cigarettes |
| title | Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics |
| title_full | Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics |
| title_short | Assessment of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins, α-fetoprotein, and dopamine sera levels: insights into heroin addicts’ characteristics |
| title_sort | assessment of toxoplasma immunoglobulins α fetoprotein and dopamine sera levels insights into heroin addicts characteristics |
| topic | Toxoplasma IgG and Ig M Α-fetoprotein Dopamine Heroin Cigarettes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07055-0 |
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