Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in paraffin blocks from patients diagnosed with various cancers

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Main Authors: Pourahmad, Azadeh, Shirazi Yeganeh, Babak, Abdoli, Amir, Kargar Jahromi, Zahra, Kazemi, Akbar, Taghipour, Ali, Rezanezhad, Ali, Rezanezhad, Hassan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 18.08.2025
• Subjects: cancer; Toxoplasma gondii; molecular detection
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traf083

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in cancer tissue samples and explore potential associations with different cancer types. A total of 338 paraffin blocks from patients diagnosed with nine different cancers, including brain, lung, colon, breast, testis, prostate, uterus, ovary and eye, were analysed. The age distribution of the patients ranged from ≤30 to >70 y. The analysed sample consisted of 204 female and 134 male subjects. The molecular analysis revealed an overall prevalence of T. gondii DNA presence in 9.75% (33 cases) of the cancer tissue samples: 19 lung tissue samples, 6 colon samples, 5 breast samples and 1 sample each from the testis, prostate and uterus. Conversely, no T. gondii DNA was detected in the brain, ovary and eye samples. Statistical analysis using the χ2 test indicated a significant association between T. gondii and the type of cancer tissue, with a higher frequency in lung and colon tissues (p<0.001). However, there was no significant correlation observed between T. gondii infection and age or gender. These findings highlight potential links between T. gondii infection and specific cancer types, suggesting a need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and implications for cancer pathogenesis. Understanding the role of T. gondii in cancer development may offer new insights into preventive strategies and targeted treatments for T. gondii–associated malignancies. Further investigations are warranted to validate these associations, expand the sample size and explore the clinical significance of T. gondii infection in cancer patients.