Latent Toxoplasma gondii Infection Does Not Modulate Immune Aging in a Cross-Sectional Working-Age Population Study.

The overall latent T. gondii seroprevalence in the study population was 28%.

• 161 out of 584 participants were seropositive.
• Participants were aged 20-70 years from the Dortmund Vital Study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05155397).
• Seroprevalence did not significantly differ between males and females.
• Seroprevalence increased with age, so seropositive individuals were older than seronegative participants.

Latent T. gondii infection showed significant bivariate associations with the composite immune age index IMMAX, pointing to accelerated immune aging in seropositive individuals.

• IMMAX is described as a composite immune age index.
• This association was observed in unadjusted bivariate analyses.
• IMMAX also increased with age and in males.

Associations between latent T. gondii infection and immunosenescence biomarkers disappeared after adjusting for sex and age.

• Multivariate analyses included sex and age as covariates.
• The significant bivariate associations were no longer present once confounders were controlled for.
• This indicates that the apparent relationship between T. gondii seropositivity and immune aging was attributable to the confounding effects of age and sex.

Latent T. gondii infection did not modify the immunosenescence trend across age.

• The interaction term between T. gondii serostatus and age in predicting biomarker levels was non-significant.
• This indicates that the rate of immune aging did not differ between seropositive and seronegative individuals.
• The sample consisted of 584 volunteers representing the regional population.

Latent T. gondii infection is unlikely to modulate immune aging concerning cellular senescence in otherwise healthy working-age adults.

• The study used a cross-sectional design with participants aged 20-70 years.
• Both T. gondii antibody levels and immunosenescence biomarkers were measured.
• The conclusion held after adjustment for the confounders sex and age.
• The study population was described as otherwise healthy working-age adults.