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Updated: May 14, 2026

3-D Imaging and Analysis of Neurons Infected In Vivo with Toxoplasma gondii
Published on: December 9, 2014
Psychiatric disorders in toxoplasma seropositive patients--the CD8 connection
Rajarshi Bhadra1, Dustin A Cobb, Louis M Weiss
1Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract:
Although the highest numbers of studies linking an infectious agent with schizophrenia has involved the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, the mechanistic underpinnings of this correlation has remained unaddressed. Incidentally, CD8 T cells, which play a pivotal role in mediating long-term immunity to Toxoplasma, are downregulated in schizophrenia patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that CD8 response is also impaired during chronic toxoplasmosis in murine models. In light of these new findings, in this article, we discuss the potential role of CD8 T cells in causing altered mental status in Toxoplasma seropositive schizophrenia patients.
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