ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Congenital toxoplasmosis is that pregnant women acquire the infection during gestation; diagnosis of the acute infection during pregnancy is a complex subject of maternal toxoplasmosis. Thus, the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or IgM Toxoplasma antibodies in a single serum sample drawn during gestation cannot be used to define whether the infection was recently acquired or chronic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At this cross-sectional descriptive study, sera of 391 pregnant women examined and compared. They were in an age range of 21-35 years, referred by gynecologists and infectious disease specialists, during March 2012-April 2013. They have referred, 215 (54.98%), 102 (26%), 74 (18.92%) in the first, second and third trimesters of gestation, respectively. For each of them, a questionnaire was completed and serum samples were prepared in an equal condition, examined according to the procedures of indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and IgG Avidity techniques. RESULTS: We have found 111 (28.38%) seronegative and 280 (71.61%) seropositive cases by IIF and 124 (31.70%) seronegative, 267 (68.28%) seropositive cases by ELISA. The IgG avidity test confirmed 45 (69.23%) and 7 (10.76%) doubtful cases of IgM test in IIF and ELISA techniques. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights how to manage pregnant women with toxoplasmosis, especially in a single serum sample condition.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood , Antibody Affinity , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/diagnosis , Toxoplasma/immunology , Toxoplasmosis/diagnosis , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Female , Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect/methods , Humans , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Iran , Mass Screening/methods , Pregnancy , Serum/immunology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Toxoplasma gondii causes the most common parasitic infection in the world. Congenital transmission, prenatal mortality and abortion are major problems of T. gondii. Prevalence of toxoplasmosis is high in Iran, especially in Azerbaijan. The current literature reviewed in this paper reveal results pertaining to various regions of Iran. The present cross-sectional e-study was designed to evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in childbearing women in Northwest Iran. We evaluated 1659 women in childbearing age from several cities in Northwestern Iran (Tabriz, Maragheh, Ahar, Marand, Sarab, Miane) from July 2009 to August 2010. Women aged between 20 and 40 years and seeking prenatal care were enrolled in the study. The subjects' sera were probed with indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA). A total of 1659 subjects were examined. Titres ranged from 1:100 to 1:800. In all, 899 subjects (54.13%) were seropositive. The highest frequency of seropositivity was shown in 1:200 dilution (36.08%) and in subjects from Maragheh (84% of 211 subjects). There was a direct linear relationship between seropositivity and age (p 0.001). Also, seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was higher in subjects with primary school/lower educational level (p 0.001) and subjects living in rural regions (p 0.001). Overall, more than 50% of women in childbearing age were seropositive for toxoplasmosis in northwestern Iran. Increasing seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis with age was a predictable result due to longer exposure to the parasite. The relationship between increasing seroprevalence and lower educational level as well as living in rural areas is in line with the latest epidemiological findings, which also show such relationships due to lower socioeconomic status.
