Diagnosis of congenital cerebral toxoplasmosis by detection of low avidity specific IGG antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid

To assess the role of congenital toxoplasmosis as a causative agent of the CNS disorders in human off springs, 105 newborns, infants, preschool and school children with these disorders were observed. They consisted of three groups. The first were 24 newborns and infants to mothers seroconverted during pregnancy, the second; 39 newborns and infants whose immunocompromised mothers were Toxoplasma chronically infected before pregnancy, the third, 42 children who were clinically free at birth but presented with CNS disorders 4-9 years later; their mothers were with chronic Toxoplasma seropositivity at the time of the survey. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were sought in the sera of mothers and sera and CSF of the off springs. Specific intrathecal IgG antibody production was estimated by calculating Goldman Witmer Coefficient [C] and by calculating the CSF to serum antibody avidity ratio [AR] exploiting an ELISA that included dissociation of antigen-antibody complexes with 6 Mure a solution. C value > 8 and AR value < 0.5 were detected in 5 [20.8%] members of the first group, 3 [7.6%] of the second and 4 [9.5%] of the third. These values corresponded with the response to specific therapy. The antibody avidity in the diagnosed newborn sera [

genetic epidemiological study of congenital malformations at birth in Sharkyia, Egypt

A total of 1500 consecutive neonates delivered in Zagazig University Hospitals were subjected to full clinical and genetic evaluation. Social data including parental consanguinity and social class were taken. The prevalence of congenital in malformations [CMs] in the 1500 hospital live births and still births were 3.2%. The malformed neonates [48] were classified into 13 groups according to world Health Organization classification of CMs. The most common anomalies were: central nervous system [29.1%], followed by musculoskeletal system [18.9%] and genetic syndromes [10.5%]. Parental consanguinity was found in [54.2%] of malformed cases, indicating the deleterious effects of consanguinity. Our study concludes that overall the inheritance rather than socio-environmental factors contributes significantly in the etiology of different congenital malformations. We further suggest that the basic information of this research might be useful foundation data in future analytic studies on CMs in Egypt