A common parasite spreads through undercooked pork, and from time to time our cats can have more insidious effects on health than previously suspected. New research suggests a link between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and an increased risk of brain cancer. At this point, however, scientists are still unsure whether there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship and the overall risk of brain cancer is still very low.
T. gondii is known for their mind-altering tricks against rodents, one of its natural intermediate guests. In these animals, unicellular parasites cause them recklessness in the face of danger and make them no longer avoid the smell of cat urine. They roll itTs and their parasites are then more likely to be enveloped by a feline, allowing parasites to reach their main cat host and reach full adulthood. They then breed and create a new generation of eggs that the cat can drag into the environment, starting the terrible life cycle again. Humans are an unfortunate spectator in all of this, becoming infected either through close contact with cat poop or eating meat (usually pork) contaminated with T. gondii cysts.
Acute T. gondii infections in people it can be severe for those with a weakened immune system or for newborns who contracted it while in the womb. In most people, however, an acute infection does not cause symptoms, while some may develop mild flu-like symptoms for several weeks.
Historically, these acute symptoms were believed to be the extent of the damage it caused T. gondii it can cause us. But more recently, scientists have found one intriguing connection between the parasite and the subtle neurological effects in people, aided by the fact that cysts can silently survive in the body, including the brain, for decades. Chronicle T. gondii infections have been linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia, decreased cognition, and behavioral changes, such as increased risk and aggression. This new study, published at the International Cancer Journal, indicates that certain types of brain cancer may need to be added to the list above.
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The researchers examined data from research projects that tracked people’s health over time, including a lengthy study on cancer prevention led by the American Cancer Society. They focused specifically on people who later encountered gliomas, the most common form of brain cancer. As part of their initial examination, volunteers donated blood samples that were tested for antibodies to various germs, including T. gondii.
When the researchers compared people who eventually developed gliomas in these studies with similar people who did not, they found that the group of gliomas was more likely to have T. gondii antibodies. In general, the presence of T. gondii was associated with more than a double increase in glioma risk. In people with the highest levels of a particular type of antibody against T. gondii, the associated risk was more than three times higher. Some 350 people with glioma were studied, including people over 70 and under 40, with similar associated risks observed in both age groups.
Other studies have it Found a similar link between T. gondii and brain cancer. However, according to the authors, theirs is the first evidence of what is known as prospective research, which is when people are observed before developing the condition being studied. This is important, because scientists can clearly know this thing A, in this case, T. gondii infection: happens before thing B, brain cancer. That alone cannot prove it T. gondii it helps cause brain cancer, but it’s evidence that makes the connection more likely to be real.
“The findings suggest that people with higher exposure to T. gondii parasites are more likely to develop glioma, “said study author Anna Coghill, a researcher at the Moffitt Cancer Center. statement published by the American Cancer Society. “However, it should be noted that the absolute risk of being diagnosed with a glioma remains low, and that these findings should be replicated in a larger and more diverse group of individuals.”
There are about 24,000 new cases of brain cancer dear which occurs annually in the United States, accounting for approximately 1% of all cancers. Meanwhile, it is believed that 11% of Americans they have been around for more than six years T. gondii, therefore, more than 30 million people. This means that even if this connection is real, the chances of suffering from brain cancer as a result of a chronic illness T. gondii infections are very low on an individual level. Similarly, not everyone who develops glioma will have it T. gondii, and there are people with T. gondii who would have had brain cancer even though the infection had never happened is the risk of cancer complicated like this.
However, this is the latest research to suggest that hidden infections in the body and brain can affect our health long after their first arrival.