Serologic evidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among cancer patients. A prospective study from Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES To determine the frequency of antibody seropositivity of Toxoplasma gondii  infection in a cancer patient population. We also explored on association of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity with selected variables. Methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at  Prince Faisal bin Bandar cancer center, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, from November 2014 to  March 2015. One hundred thirty seven patients were involved in the study. Demographic data was collected using structured questionnaire, and clinical information was retrieved from the patient's medical reports. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique was used for antibody assay. Results:   The frequency of seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii infection was 30.6%. The patient's age range from 1.5-84 years with a geometric mean of 42.7 years. The seropositivity was significantly higher (p<0.05) among the 40-80 years age group (71.4%) as compared  to  0-39 years one (28.6%).   Conclusion: The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii increases with increasing age among cancer patients in this region of central Saudi Arabia. More research is advisable for better understanding of ageing in pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis among patients with malignancies.