significance of modified latex agglutination with 2-mercapto-ethanol [2ME] test in differentiation between acute and chronic toxoplasmosis

ABSTRACT

Different serological tests often measure different antibodies that posess unique patterns of rise and fall with time after infection. A combination of serological tests is frequently required to establish whether an individual has been more likely infected in the distant past or has been recently infected. This study was carried out in Kirkuk Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers to detect Toxoplasma antibodies among 319 pregnant women aged from less than 18 to more than 35 years old. The period of study was from beginning of November 2003 to end of May 2004. The study showed that 117 cases out of 319 were positive for Toxoplasma gondii [36.6%] by using LAT, 54 cases out of 319 were positive for IgM- ELISA [16.9%] and 66 out of 117 were positive for 2ME test [56.6%]. The total serum protein and serum albumin did not vary significantly between seropositive and seronegative toxoplasmosis, but the serum globulin level was elevated in Toxoplasma seropositive cases