The role of retinol-binding protein 4 in women infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Background: Ocular toxoplasmosis mainly affected people in the second to fifth decades, as a result of acute or reactivate congenital or postnatally acquired infection. Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is a protein transporter for retinol (Vitamin A) from the liver to peripheral tissue. Because of its function in vision RBP4 has become a target for ophthalmology research. Objectives: Identification of the role of RBP4 parameter in women infected with acute toxoplasmosis. Methodology: One hundred and fifteen blood samples were collected from aborted women, who were suspected of having toxoplasmosis for the period October 2020 to March 2021; in addition, 25 samples were collected from apparently healthy women to use as a healthy control group. All sera were investigated for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies, all IgG-positive samples (50 samples) were neglected. IgM and IgA-positive samples (40 serum samples) out of 115 samples were used as toxoplasmosis case group (acute toxoplasmosis), while the negative IgM, IgA, and IgG aborted women samples were used as aborted nontoxoplasmic control group (25 serum samples). The samples from healthy women that gave negative results for the three antibodies were used as the healthy control group. Results: The RBP4 serum level was reflected a significant decrease 1.84 ± 0.44 ng/ml in aborted toxoplasmic cases when compared with aborted nontoxoplasmic and healthy control groups; 2.85 ± 0.60, 3.90 ± 0.62 ng/ml, respectively. Conclusion: There was a highly significant decrease in RBP4 serum levels in acute toxoplasmosis-infected women. This decreasing may be one of the indirect effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on their hosts. Furthermore, this level can be used as aid test for the detection for toxoplasmosis.