潜伏刚地弓形虫感染的认知功能和促炎细胞因子在整个生命周期中的变化

IF 3.5 Q2 IMMUNOLOGY

Brain, behavior, & immunity - health Pub Date : 2025-09-15 DOI:10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101105

Patrick D. Gajewski , Peter Bröde , Maren Claus , Klaus Golka , Jan G. Hengstler , Jörg Reinders , Carsten Watzl , Edmund Wascher , Stephan Getzmann

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引用次数: 0

摘要

最近的研究结果表明潜伏性弓形虫感染对中枢神经系统有严重的影响，可导致精神、免疫和认知障碍。然而，关于潜伏性弓形虫感染在整个成人生命周期中对免疫和认知变化的时间动态知之甚少。本研究旨在评估潜伏性弓形虫感染与成人整个生命周期的认知变化过程，以及与促炎细胞因子的相互作用，导致慢性炎症，作为受感染成人认知能力下降的潜在来源。方法采用双盲横断面设计，比较218例血清阳性和475例血清阴性的20 ~ 88岁成人的关键认知领域数据：加工速度、工作记忆、即时和延迟记忆、持续注意力和执行功能。在多达300名参与者的子样本中，分析了促炎细胞因子IL-6、IL-8、IL-18和TNF-α的浓度，以评估它们与弓形虫的相互作用，并确定这些细胞因子是否在整个生命周期中对认知的影响中相互作用。结果年龄与弓形虫状态之间存在相互作用，感染弓形虫的人认知能力相对于未感染弓形虫的老年人下降，而在青年到中年人中则相反。具体来说，这种模式在工作记忆、即时和延迟回忆以及转换能力中都很明显。年龄与促炎细胞因子水平升高和弓形虫抗体浓度降低有关。IL-6、IL-8和TNF-α水平与弓形虫抗体水平和认知能力呈负相关。最后，弓形虫与IL-6、IL-8和TNF-α相互作用，预测具有高水平弓形虫IgG抗体和细胞因子的年轻人在即时和延迟记忆任务中的优异表现，而弓形虫IgG抗体和细胞因子水平在老年人中对这些功能的作用较小。结论弓形虫和促炎细胞因子对中枢神经系统和认知的影响随着年龄的增长而动态变化，表明弓形虫感染在年轻人中具有积极作用，而在老年人中可能由于慢性炎症而产生神经炎症作用。鉴于潜伏弓形虫病在一般人群中的高流行率和老年人口的不断增长，这些发现与公共卫生有关。临床试验。gov NCT05155397。

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Changes of cognitive functions and proinflammatory cytokines across the lifespan in latent Toxoplasma gondii infection

Background

Recent findings showed serious consequences of latent T. gondii infection on the central nervous system, leading to psychiatric, immunological and cognitive impairments. However, little is known about the temporal dynamics of the latent T. gondii infection in respect to immunological and cognitive changes across the adult life span. The present study aims at evaluating the course of cognitive changes across the adult life span in relation to latent T. gondii infection and the interplay with proinflammatory cytokines leading to chronic inflammation as a potential origin of the cognitive decline in infected adults.

Methods

In a double-blinded cross-sectional design, data of 218 seropositive and 475 seronegative adults aged between 20 and 88 years were compared regarding crucial cognitive domains: processing speed, working memory, immediate and delayed memory, sustained attention, and executive functions. In a subsample of up to 300 participants, concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and TNF-α were analyzed to evaluate their interaction with T. gondii, and to determine whether the cytokines interact in their effects on cognition across the lifespan.

Results

The results showed an interaction between age and T. gondii status, with a decline in cognitive performance in infected, relative to non-infected, older individuals, and the reversed pattern in young to middle-aged adults. Specifically, this pattern was evident in working memory, immediate and delayed recall, as well as switching ability. Age was associated with increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and reduced concentration of T. gondii antibodies. IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were negatively associated with T. gondii antibody level and cognitive performance. Finally, T. gondii interacted with IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, predicting superior performance in immediate and delayed memory tasks in younger adults with high levels of T. gondii IgG antibodies and cytokines, whereas T. gondii IgG antibody and cytokine levels played less of a role for these functions in older age.

Conclusion

The findings support a model of dynamically shifting effects of T. gondii and proinflammatory cytokines on the central nervous system and cognition with increasing age, suggesting positive effects of T. gondii infections in younger adults, and neuroinflammatory effects in older age presumably due to chronic inflammation. Given the high prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in the general population and the growing population of older adults, these findings are of relevance for public health.