Correlation Between Serum Level and Gene Expression of IFN-γ in Toxoplasmosis Patients and Its Association with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is linked to neurological and mental diseases. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a vital immune system cytokine that regulates immunological response. This study examines the relationship between the serum level and gene expression of IFN-γ in children with neurodevelopmental disorders infected with T. gondii. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from neurology and pediatric physicians at the Central Teaching Hospital of Paediatrics in Baghdad from October 2022 to May 2023. The serum levels of IFN-γ were measured using a competitive ELISA technique. A Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed for gene expression. The control group included 68children without toxoplasmosis and 32 who were infected with Toxoplasma gondii. In comparison, the patient group had 31 children with neurodevelopmental disorders and 69 without them, according to the ELISA (Toxoplasma-IgM and IgG) detection test. The results demonstrates that serum levels of IFN-γ are slightly higher in patients compared to the control group, and this difference is statistically significant and shows no significant variations in serum IFN-γ levels across the studied groups. The age interval (0-12) in children with neurodevelopmental disorders infected with T. gondii showed high serum levels compared to other groups. In gene expression studies, children with neurodevelopmental issues and toxoplasmosis had greater IFN- expression in gene expression. The study found that children with toxoplasmosis, especially those with neurodevelopmental problems, have increased gene expression of IFN-γ despite similar serum levels. IFN-γ may play a role in the development of neurological problems linked to congenital toxoplasmosis. Person correlation was used to evaluate the strong relationship between the serum level of IFN-y and its gene expression. The results of this study show a positive relation between IFN-y and its gene expression in the toxoplasmosis area.