J Clin Med Res

Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website http://www.jocmr.org

Original Article

Volume 8, Number 5, May 2016, pages 402-409

Association Between Toxoplasma gondii Exposure and Heart Disease: A Case-Control Study

**Table 1.** Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Patients With Heart Diseases and Seroprevalence of *T. gondii* Infection
Characteristic	No. of subjects tested	Prevalence of T. gondii infection	P value
^aAgriculture, business, employee, cattle raising, factory worker, professional, other. ^bHousewife, student, or none occupation.
Age groups (years)
30 or less	13	2	15.4	0.92
31 - 50	103	13	12.6
51 - 70	284	40	14.1
Gender
Male	156	23	14.7	0.64
Female	244	32	13.1
Birth place
Durango State	333	39	11.7	0.008
Other Mexican State	67	16	23.9
Residence place
Durango State	395	54	13.7	0.52
Other Mexican State	5	1	20.0
Residence area
Urban	294	43	14.6	0.55
Suburban	79	10	12.7
Rural	27	2	7.4
Educational level
No education	37	8	21.6	0.06
1 - 6 years	151	25	16.0
7 - 12 years	140	18	12.9
> 12 years	72	4	5.6
Occupation
Laborer^a	183	23	12.6	0.52
Non-laborer^b	217	32	14.7
Socio-economic level
Low	19	5	26.3	0.22
Medium	379	50	13.2
High	2	0	0.0

Table 1. Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Patients With Heart Diseases and Seroprevalence of T. gondii Infection

Characteristic

No. of subjects tested

Prevalence of T. gondii infection

P value

No.

^aAgriculture, business, employee, cattle raising, factory worker, professional, other. ^bHousewife, student, or none occupation.

Age groups (years)

30 or less

15.4

0.92

31 - 50

103

12.6

51 - 70

284

14.1

Gender

Male

156

14.7

0.64

Female

244

13.1

Birth place

Durango State

333

11.7

0.008

Other Mexican State

23.9

Residence place

Durango State

395

13.7

0.52

Other Mexican State

20.0

Residence area

Urban

294

14.6

0.55

Suburban

12.7

Rural

7.4

Educational level

No education

21.6

0.06

1 - 6 years

151

16.0

7 - 12 years

140

12.9

> 12 years

5.6

Occupation

Laborer^a

183

12.6

0.52

Non-laborer^b

217

14.7

Socio-economic level

Low

26.3

0.22

Medium

379

13.2

High

0.0

**Table 2.** Correlation of *T. gondii* Seroprevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Heart Diseases
Characteristic	No. of patients tested	Prevalence of T. gondii infection	P value
Hypertensive disease
Yes	249	31	12.4	0.33
No	151	24	15.9
Ischemic disease
Yes	156	26	16.7	0.17
No	244	29	11.9
Valvulopathy
Yes	19	1	5.3	0.49
No	381	54	14.2
Myocardiopathy
Yes	19	2	10.5	1.00
No	381	53	13.9
Electrical heart disease
Yes	75	12	16.0	0.53
No	325	43	13.2
Congestive heart failure
Yes	27	4	14.8	0.77
No	373	51	13.7
Congenital heart disease
Yes	1	0	0	1.00
No	399	55	13.8
Pericardial disease
Yes	17	2	11.8	1.00
No	383	53	13.8
Pulmonary heart disease
Yes	2	0	0.0	1.00
No	398	55	13.8
Functional classification
I	252	35	13.9	0.78
II	110	14	12.7
III	35	5	14.3
IV	3	1	33.0
Response to treatment
Good	309	45	14.6	0.64
Regular	74	8	10.8
Bad	11	2	18.2
Memory impairment
Yes	235	37	15.7	0.17
No	164	18	11
Blood transfusion
Yes	87	16	18	0.15
No	312	39	12.5

Table 2. Correlation of T. gondii Seroprevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Heart Diseases

Characteristic

No. of patients tested

Prevalence of T. gondii infection

P value

No.

Hypertensive disease

Yes

249

12.4

0.33

151

15.9

Ischemic disease

Yes

156

16.7

0.17

244

11.9

Valvulopathy

Yes

5.3

0.49

381

14.2

Myocardiopathy

Yes

10.5

1.00

381

13.9

Electrical heart disease

Yes

16.0

0.53

325

13.2

Congestive heart failure

Yes

14.8

0.77

373

13.7

Congenital heart disease

Yes

1.00

399

13.8

Pericardial disease

Yes

11.8

1.00

383

13.8

Pulmonary heart disease

Yes

0.0

1.00

398

13.8

Functional classification

252

13.9

0.78

110

12.7

III

14.3

33.0

Response to treatment

Good

309

14.6

0.64

Regular

10.8

Bad

18.2

Memory impairment

Yes

235

15.7

0.17

164

Blood transfusion

Yes

0.15

312

12.5

**Table 3.** Bivariate Analysis of Selected Putative Risk Factors for Infection With *T. gondii* in Patients With Heart Disease
Characteristic	No. of subjects tested	Prevalence of T. gondii infection	P value
Raising farm animals
Yes	137	15	10.9	0.24
No	263	40	15.2
National trips
Yes	310	47	15.2	0.12
No	90	8	8.9
Squirrel meat consumption
Yes	51	11	21.6	0.08
No	349	44	12.6
Opossum meat consumption
Yes	11	4	36.4	0.05
No	389	51	13.1
Armadillo meat consumption
Yes	11	3	27.3	0.18
No	389	52	13.4
Iguana meat consumption
Yes	10	3	30.0	0.14
No	390	52	13.3
Snake meat consumption
Yes	83	15	18.0	0.19
No	317	40	12.6
Frequency of meat consumption
Never	2	1	50.0	0.16
Up to three times a week	315	46	14.6
4 - 7 times a week	83	8	9.6
Degree of meat cooking
Undercooked	16	5	31.3	0.05
Well done	384	50	13.0
Unwashed raw vegetables
Yes	46	9	19.6	0.22
No	354	46	13.0
Unwashed raw fruits
Yes	55	12	21.8	0.06
No	345	43	12.5
Untreated water
Yes	180	21	11.7	0.27
No	220	34	15.5
Frequency of eating out of home
Never	16	5	31.3	0.07
1 - 10 times a year	153	17	11.1
> 10 times a year	231	33	14.3
Alcohol
Yes	86	18	20.9	0.02
No	314	37	11.8
Floor at home
Ceramic or wood	226	34	15.0	0.20
Concrete	158	17	10.8
Soil	16	4	25.0

Table 3. Bivariate Analysis of Selected Putative Risk Factors for Infection With T. gondii in Patients With Heart Disease

Characteristic

No. of subjects tested

Prevalence of T. gondii infection

P value

No.

Raising farm animals

Yes

137

10.9

0.24

263

15.2

National trips

Yes

310

15.2

0.12

8.9

Squirrel meat consumption

Yes

21.6

0.08

349

12.6

Opossum meat consumption

Yes

36.4

0.05

389

13.1

Armadillo meat consumption

Yes

27.3

0.18

389

13.4

Iguana meat consumption

Yes

30.0

0.14

390

13.3

Snake meat consumption

Yes

18.0

0.19

317

12.6

Frequency of meat consumption

Never

50.0

0.16

Up to three times a week

315

14.6

4 - 7 times a week

9.6

Degree of meat cooking

Undercooked

31.3

0.05

Well done

384

13.0

Unwashed raw vegetables

Yes

19.6

0.22

354

13.0

Unwashed raw fruits

Yes

21.8

0.06

345

12.5

Untreated water

Yes

180

11.7

0.27

220

15.5

Frequency of eating out of home

Never

31.3

0.07

1 - 10 times a year

153

11.1

> 10 times a year

231

14.3

Alcohol

Yes

20.9

0.02

314

11.8

Floor at home

Ceramic or wood

226

15.0

0.20

Concrete

158

10.8

Soil

25.0

**Table 4.** Multivariate Analysis of Selected Characteristics of Patients and Their Association With *T. gondii* Infection
Characteristic	Odds ratio	95% confidence interval	P value
Born out of Durango State	2.93	1.40 - 6.13	0.004
Low educational level	0.72	0.47 - 1.12	0.14
Ischemic disease	1.49	0.78 - 2.87	0.22
Memory impairment	1.66	0.85 - 3.27	0.13
Blood transfusion	1.81	0.91 - 3.60	0.09
National trips	1.11	0.57 - 2.15	0.75
Consumption of:
Squirrel meat	1.75	0.74 - 4.13	0.19
Opossum meat	2.15	0.47 - 9.90	0.32
Armadillo meat	2.14	0.39 - 11.61	0.37
Iguana meat	0.75	0.12 - 4.47	0.75
Snake meat	1.24	0.59 - 2.57	0.56
Unwashed raw fruits	1.81	0.79 - 4.13	0.15
Undercooked meat	2.91	0.71 - 11.82	0.13
Alcohol	2.04	1.01 - 4.12	0.04
Consumption of meat 4 - 7 days a week	0.53	0.20 - 1.35	0.18
Eating out of home	0.35	0.09 - 1.27	0.11

Table 4. Multivariate Analysis of Selected Characteristics of Patients and Their Association With T. gondii Infection

Characteristic

Odds ratio

95% confidence interval

P value

Born out of Durango State

2.93

1.40 - 6.13

0.004

Low educational level

0.72

0.47 - 1.12

0.14

Ischemic disease

1.49

0.78 - 2.87

0.22

Memory impairment

1.66

0.85 - 3.27

0.13

Blood transfusion

1.81

0.91 - 3.60

0.09

National trips

1.11

0.57 - 2.15

0.75

Consumption of:

Squirrel meat

1.75

0.74 - 4.13

0.19

Opossum meat

2.15

0.47 - 9.90

0.32

Armadillo meat

2.14

0.39 - 11.61

0.37

Iguana meat

0.75

0.12 - 4.47

0.75

Snake meat

1.24

0.59 - 2.57

0.56

Unwashed raw fruits

1.81

0.79 - 4.13

0.15

Undercooked meat

2.91

0.71 - 11.82

0.13

Alcohol

2.04

1.01 - 4.12

0.04

Consumption of meat 4 - 7 days a week

0.53

0.20 - 1.35

0.18

Eating out of home

0.35

0.09 - 1.27

0.11