Sex-dependent toxoplasmosis-associated differences in testosterone concentration in humans
2008
Several lines of indirect evidence suggest that subjects with latent infection of the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii have a higher concentration of testosterone than uninfected controls. Here, we searched for direct evidence of latent toxoplasmosis-associated differences in testosterone concentration among a population of 174 female and 91 male students screened for Toxoplasma infection. We have found Toxoplasma -infected men to have a higher concentration of testosterone and Toxoplasma -infected women to have a lower concentration of testosterone than Toxoplasma -free controls. The opposite direction of the testosterone shift in men compared to women can explain the observed gender specificity of behavioural shifts in Toxoplasma -infected subjects.
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