Relationship of central nervous system neoplasms to Toxoplasma gondii infection.

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Abstract
A causal relationship between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and primary central nervous system [CNS] neoplasms, specifically astrocytomas, is suggested by the result of the present study. One hundred twenty six hospitalized patients with histologically verified primary CNS tumors and an equal number of matched hospitalized controls were collected between January 1, 1963 and June 30, 1964. Each subject was tested for toxoplasma antibodies by the Sabin Feldman technique with a titer of 1: 1 or greater considered as evidence of infection. The gliomas as a group, and especially the astrocytomas, revealed significant associations with toxoplasma dye-test positivity. Other tumor types did not exhibit significant associations, but the number of cases available were too small to allow a conclusion of absence of association.