Association between vitamin D deficiency and Toxoplasma gondii infection in women of childbearing age

Abstract

To explore the association between the risk of vitamin D deficiency and the infection of Toxoplasma gondii in women of childbearing age. Based on a Women's Reproductive Health Cohort Study performed from 2007 to 2010 in four counties of Henan Province, Toxoplasma gondii infection were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). A total of 1151 women with pregnancy outcomes were followed up and pre-pregnancy vitamin D level was measured with serum samples. Case-control study was used to examine the association between the risk of vitamin D deficiency and Toxoplasma infection. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 61. 5%(95% CI 59. 2%-64. 9%) and Toxoplasma infection was 9. 6%(95% CI 7. 9%-11. 4%), among which IgG positive, IgM positive and both positive were 7. 6%, 2. 3% and 0. 3%, respectively. After adjusting confounding factors, including education, family annual income, and dietary intake frequencies. , it was found that the risk of vitamin D deficiency in women infected with Toxoplasma gondii recently or previously was 1. 75 times higher than that of uninfected women(95% CI 1. 11-2. 77). There is association between the risk of vitamin D deficiency and the infection of Toxoplasma gondii in women of childbearing age.