Serological and molecular identification of Toxoplasma gondii in breast cancer women in Al-Diwaniyah and Al-Najaf provinces, Iraq

Abstract

The current study is conducted in Al-Diwaniyah and Al-Najaf provinces from the period of January - October 2020. The aim of study is determining the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the sera of women with breast cancer by detecting specific antibodies of T. gondii using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and DNA of parasite using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The study included 110 blood samples divided into two groups; 60 samples from women with breast cancer who checked in Al-Diwaniyah teaching hospital (center of cancer disease and oncology), and from Middle Euphrates cancer center in Al Najaf province and control group (50 samples) were taken from women without breast cancer. The total number of positive samples to ELISA test were 38 samples (63.33%), 22 samples of them were positive forT. gondii IgG (36.6%) with a significant difference (P< 0.05) and 16 samples (26.6%) were positive forT. gondii IgM. In control group (Noncancerous women) the total number of positive samples to ALISA test were 19 samples (38%), 9 samples were positive for T. gondii IgG (18%) and 10 samples were positive forT.gondii IgM (20%). The study also included detection of T. gondii DNA in the positive samples for ELISA, The results of PCR Tanique was detection of T. gondii DNA in 20 samples out of 22 samples that were IgG positive (90.9%) and in 15samples out of 16 samples that were positive of T. gondii IgM by ELISA (93.7%).