Prematurity and Low Birth Weight did not Correlate with Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Maternal Serum Profiles--a Brazilian Report.

Mariana Machado Lemos Fochi,Eloisa Aparecida Galão,Lígia Cosentino Junqueira Franco Spegiorin,Sabrina Baring,Cinara Cássia Brandão De Mattos,Luiz Carlos De Mattos,Antonio Hélio Oliani,Denise Cristina Mós Vaz-Oliani,Gordon Langsley

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132719

Mariana Machado Lemos Fochi, Eloisa Aparecida Galão + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132719

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Abstract

Gestational Toxoplasma gondii infection is considered a major risk factor for miscarriage, prematurity and low birth weight in animals. However, studies focusing on this topic in humans are scarce. The objective of this study is to determine whether anti-Toxoplasma gondii maternal serum profiles correlate prematurity and low birth weight in humans. The study examined 213 pregnant women seen at the High-Risk Pregnancy Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. All serological profiles (IgM-/IgG+; IgM-/IgG-; IgM+/IgG+) were determined by ELISA commercial kits. Maternal age, gestational age and weight of the newborn at birth were collected and recorded in the Statement of Live Birth. Prematurity was defined as gestational age <37 weeks and low birth weight ≤ 2499 grams. The t-test was used to compare values (p < 0.05). The mean maternal age was 27.6±6.6 years. Overall, 56.3% (120/213) of the women studied were IgM-/IgG+, 36.2% (77/213) were IgM-/IgG- and 7.5% (16/213) were IgM+/IgG+. The average age of the women with serological profile IgM+/IgG+ (22.3±3.9 years) was different from women with the profile IgM-/IgG+ (27.9±6.7 years, p = 0.0011) and IgM-/IgG- (27.9±6.4 years, p = 0.0012). There was no statistically significant difference between the different serological profiles in relation to prematurity (p = 0.6742) and low birth weight (p = 0.7186). The results showed that prematurity and low birth weight did not correlate with anti-Toxoplasma gondii maternal serum profiles.

Highlights

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases in the world
The prevalence of T. gondii infection was investigated in different Brazilian states in recent decades and the results revealed great variability in its contents, including previous studies by our group [2,31,32,33,34]
The objective of this study was to correlate prematurity and low birth weight with the maternal serum profiles in 213 pregnant women for toxoplasmosis the northwestern region of São Paulo State who gave birth a single baby for both sexes, whose data prematurity and low birth were obtained from the official Statement of Live Birth

Summary

Introduction

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases in the world. The T. gondii life cycle alternates between intermediate hosts (mammals and birds), where the asexual stage occurs, and definitive hosts (felines), harboring the sexual stage. The infection in the intermediate host occurs by eating raw or undercooked meat containing cysts, and water or food contaminated with oocysts secreted in the feces of infected cats [2]. Rapid replication of tachyzoites predominates and in approximately 60– 90 days the infection becomes chronic. As the immune response is effective in controlling the infection, tachyzoites differentiate into bradyzoites, which divide more slowly and form cysts in various cells, in the brain, heart and muscles. About 80% of chronically infected individuals are asymptomatic in some cases eye injuries occur [2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]

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