Antibodies In Pregnant Women Research Articles

Seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Pregnant Women During the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Longitudinal Study

Seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Pregnant Women During the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Longitudinal Study

Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 among Pregnant Women in South-Western Romania.

Pregnancy-related infections with the human herpes simplex virus (HSV) strains HSV-1 and HSV-2 are particularly noteworthy. There are numerous reported examples of intrapartum transmission of herpes infection, notwithstanding the extreme rarity of intrauterine transfer from mother to fetus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies in pregnant women in the western region of Romania. Pregnant women who presented for routine pregnancy monitoring at Romania's County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Craiova between 2013 and 2016 and 2019 and 2022 were included in the study. In order to find anti-HSV-1/2 IgG antibodies, we conducted serological testing on the patients and gathered demographic information from them. HSV-1 seroprevalence was shown to have declined in rural areas and increased in urban areas, with values between 2013 and 2016 being 89.30% and those between 2019 and 2022 being 84.96%, respectively. Women over 35 who were pregnant had the highest seroprevalence. The seroprevalence of HSV-2 decreased from 16.16% in 2013-2016 to 12.43% in 2019-2022, and both rural and urban areas continued to experience this declining trend. Similarly, pregnant women over 35 years old had the highest frequency of HSV-1 infections. Establishing educational programs and other actions to reduce the transmission rate and ultimately the prevalence of the disease can be made easier with knowledge about the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections.

Detection of ZIKA virus antibody in pregnant women in Makassar City, Indonesia: The first proof of the distribution of Zika virus in the area

Objective: The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a type of arbovirus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. It is primarily transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, with the Aedes aegypti mosquito being a common carrier of ZIKV and other viruses like dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. In Indonesia, with a population of 254.9 million people, there were no reports of Zika outbreaks until 2018.

The Presence of anti-Toxoplasma Antibodies in Pregnant Women with Normal Pregnancy Course and with History of Spontaneous Abor-tion

The Presence of anti-Toxoplasma Antibodies in Pregnant Women with Normal Pregnancy Course and with History of Spontaneous Abor-tion

Антитіла до білків теплового шоку людини та бактерій із молекулярною масою 60кДа при накладеній прееклампсії

Purpose - to measure the blood serum levels of anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies in pregnant women with chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia, to evaluate the prospects of using these indicators as superimposed preeclampsia predictors. Materials and methods. Prospective cohort observational study, which consisted of 105 pregnant women with chronic hypertension and the control group - 34 healthy pregnant women. Blood samples were collected at 28 weeks (first study point), the second time at 36 weeks in case of preeclampsia absence or at 29-35 weeks if preeclampsia added (second study point). If preeclampsia occurred after 36 weeks, additional anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies measurements were not performed. Anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies were measured by immunosorbent assay. Results. At 28 weeks anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies growth was detected in the chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups compared to the healthy subgroup (p<0.01 and p<0.001 respectively for anti-HSP60; p<0.0001 for anti-GroEL in both cases), no difference was found between chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups. At the second study point, anti-HSP60 antibodies were increased in the chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups compared to the healthy subgroup (p<0.01 and p<0.0001, respectively); a statistically significant difference was found between chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups (p<0.01). Anti-GroEL antibodies at the second study point were increased in the chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups compared to the healthy subgroup (p<0.001 and p<0.0001), however, no statistically significant difference was found between levels in the chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia subgroups. Anti-HSP60 antibodies showed a strong correlation with anti-GroEL antibodies in all subgroups at the first study point, same was true for healthy and chronic hypertension subgroups at the second study point. There was no correlation between anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies indicators in the superimposed preeclampsia subgroup at the second study point (p=0.059). There was no growth of anti-GroEL antibodies with gestational age increase in the chronic hypertension subgroup. Anti-HSP60 antibodies increase at the second study point compared to concentrations at 28 weeks in the chronic hypertension subgroup (p<0.001) and the superimposed preeclampsia subgroup (p<0.001). Conclusions. Loss of immunological tolerance to HSP60 and exacerbation of immunological reactivity against GroEL accompany hypertensive disorders course during pregnancy. Anti-HSP60 antibodies may play a more significant role in superimposed preeclampsia development. Application of anti-HSP60 and anti-GroEL antibodies as superimposed preeclampsia predictors needs further study. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Serological Characteristics and Clinical Significance of Irregular Antibodies in Pregnant Women

To understand the serological characteristics of irregular antibodies in pregnant women and explore their clinical significance. From January 2017 to March 2022, 151 471 pregnant women in Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in this study, microcolumn gel card test was used for irregular antibody screening, and antibody specificity identification was further performed in some antibody-positive subjects. The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the enrolled pregnant women was 0.91% (1 375/151 471), 0.23% (355/151 471) was detected in the first trimester, 0.05% (71/151 471) in the second trimester, and 0.63% (949/151 471) in the third trimester. The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the third trimester was significantly higher than that in the first and second trimester, and a significant increase in the number of positive cases was found in the third trimester than that in the second trimester. The analysis of agglutination intensity of 1 375 irregular antibody screening positive results showed that the weakly positive agglutination intensity accounted for 50.11% (689/ 1 375), which was the highest, the suspicious positive was 18.69% (257/1 375), and the positive was 31.20% (429/1 375). The significant difference in distribution of agglutination intensity was not observed between the first trimester group and the second trimester group, however, in the third trimester, the proportion of suspicious positive and weakly positive was lower than the first trimester, while, the proportion of positive was higher than the first trimester, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Among the irregular antibody screening positive pregnant women, the proportion of pregnant women with pregnancy number ≥ 2 was significantly higher than that with pregnancy ≤ 1. Among 60 pregnant women who underwent antibody identification, the distributions of the antibodies were as follows: Rh blood group system accounted for 23.33% (14/60), Lewis system 43.33% (26/60), Kidd system 3.33% (2/60), MNS system 16.67% (10/60), P1PK system 1.67% (1/60), autoantibodies 1.67% (1/60), and 4 cases was unable to identify (6.67%, 4/60). Among specific antibodies, the anti-Lea was the most common (30.00%), followed by anti-E (16.67%) and anti-M (16.67%). The differences of irregular antibody serological characteristics exist in pregnant women from different regions with different genetic backgrounds, understanding the characteristics of irregular antibody in local pregnant women is of great significance for ensuring transfusion safety in pregnant women and preventing hemolytic disease of newborn.

Seroprevalence of Anti-Cytomegalovirus Antibodies in Pregnant Women from South-West Romania.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), in addition to other agents, is part of the TORCH complex (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex viruses, and other agents). CMV infection is the most frequent cause of congenital malformations. This study aimed to establish the variation of prevalence of anti-CMV antibodies in pregnant women from the South-West region of Romania, according to demographic factors, such as age and area of residence, in two separate time periods (2013-2016 and 2019-2022). We collected from the hospital records the age, place of residence, and anti-CMV antibody test results using immune electrochemiluminescence and chemiluminescence. This study found that the seroprevalence of anti-CMV IgM antibodies increased slightly from 2013-2016 to 2019-2022, from 1.92% to 2.26%, and for IgG antibodies from 93.68% to 94.96%. In both groups was observed a descending trend of anti-CMV IgM seroprevalence with an increase in age, showing a decrease in seroprevalence from 3.57% to 1.09% in pregnant women from rural areas in the 31-35 years age group, while in urban areas, we observed a decrease in seroprevalence from 11.11% to 3.06% in the <20 years age group. The IgG seroprevalence showed an increase both in rural areas (from 93.97% to 95.52%) and urban areas (from 93.52% to 94.27%). In both groups, seroprevalence was higher in rural areas compared to urban regions. These results show a high rate of immunization against CMV in pregnant women in South-West Romania, which led to a low risk of acquiring the primary infection during pregnancy. However, the increase in the rate of primary CMV infections in pregnancy suggests the need for prioritizing screening programs and improving the existing protocols to enhance maternal and child healthcare.

Prevalence of unexpected red blood cell antibodies in pregnant women and follow-up of pregnancy outcome in pregnant women treated with intra-uterine transfusion.

For the management of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), it is important to detect unexpected red cell antibody in pregnant women. We assessed the prevalence of unexpected red cell antibodies in consecutive pregnant women attending antenatal clinic (ANC). More importantly, cases with unexpected antibody causing severe anemia were followed-up for intervention (Intra-uterine transfusion {IUT}) and outcome of pregnancy (still-birth/live-healthy). The study was conducted with an objective to find the prevalence of unexpected RBC antibodies in pregnant women, their specificity and to do the follow-up for IUT and outcome of pregnancy (still-birth, live-birth) in antibody positive women. This was a prospective study from January 2021 to May 2022 at two tertiary care centres. All antenatal samples received by the laboratory were screened for unexpected red cell antibody. Whenever antibody screen was positive, antibody identification was performed. Patients, positive for unexpected antibody and anemia were followed up for any transfusion-based intervention and outcome of pregnancy. A total of 539 consecutive samples were worked up and among these, 10 samples (1.85%) were found to be antibody positive. The antibodies identified were Anti-D (n=6), anti-Leb (n=1), anti-M (n=1), anti-C (n=1) and anti-E (n=1).The prevalence of unexpected antibodies in Rh positive and Rh negative pregnant women was 0.83% and 10.9% respectively. Follow-up was done for all 10 cases with unexpected antibody and anemia was monitored by MCA PSV (middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity).Two women developed severe anemia thus requiring single intrauterine transfusion (at 26 weeks and 28 weeks respectively) each, for correction of anemia. In both these cases, healthy male child was delivered. At 3-month follow-up both children were alive and healthy. The study found prevalence of unexpected RBC antibodies in pregnant women as 1.85%. The study also underlined importance of transfusion-based interventions contributing to successful outcome in couple of cases with severe anemia.

Prevalence and Characterisation of Irregular RBC Antibodies in Antenatal Females from a Tertiary Care Center in Northern India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn (HDFN) is widely known to be caused by the presence of irregular Red Blood Cell (RBC) antibodies in pregnant females. To prevent HDFN, it is crucial to identify these antibodies in pregnant women. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of irregular red cell antibodies in pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo New Delhi, from November 2009 to December 2017. A total of 8,217 prenatal females were examined for irregular red cell antibodies. Antibody screening and blood grouping were performed. The Capture-R ready screen was used to confirm screen-positive tests. Adsorption, elution, and other advanced techniques were utilised as needed. Data was collected from patient records and entered into a Microsoft excel spreadsheet. The statistical analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 14.0 (USA). Statistical tests, including the Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test, were performed, with a p-value less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 8,217 prenatal females examined, 105 (1.27%) had positive screening results with the four cell panel. Red cell alloimmunisation was observed in groups that were RhD negative (n=93/105; 88.57%) and positive (n=12/105; 11.42%). The most prevalent alloantibody among RhD negative individuals was alloantibody anti-D (n= 83/93; 89.24%), followed by alloantibody anti C+ anti D (n=13/93; 13.97%). Anti-D was the most prevalent alloantibody overall (n=83/105; 79.04%). Conclusion: Alloimmunisation rates were notably high among women lacking the Rh D antigen. Individuals with a history of adverse obstetric outcomes showed a statistically significant association with alloimmunisation. Therefore, it is recommended to screen such individuals for alloantibodies to enable early detection and improve the management of HDFN.

Frequency of Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella, and Cytomegalovirus Antibodies in Pregnant Women in Yazd Province, Iran

Background: TRC (Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, and cytomegalovirus [CMV]) infections during pregnancy can lead to serious sequelae in the uterine fetus. Prenatal testing, which includes screening and diagnosis of antibodies to TRC infections, is one of the most important aspects of prenatal care recommended during pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of TRC infections in pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic in Yazd province in central Iran. Methods: For this purpose, 8355 sera samples were obtained from pregnant women attending the central laboratory of Yazd province in central Iran and subjected to screening for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies against TRC using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Of these, 4,245, 2,190, and 1,920 pregnant women were screened for anti-Toxoplasma, rubella, and CMV, IgG, and IgM antibodies, respectively. Results: The results revealed that 77.4% (1695/2190) and 78.1% (1500/1920) were positive for anti-rubella and anti-CMV IgG antibodies, and n.o seropositive was detected for anti-rubella and -CMV IgM antibodies. For anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, 20.85% (885/4245), 9.54% (405/4245), and 12.01% (510/4245) were positive for IgG, IgM, and both IgG-IgM antibodies, respectively. In addition, our findings showed the high prevalence of chronic TRC infections and a low recently acquired Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women. Conclusion: Our findings confirmed the high prevalence of chronic TRC infections and a low recently acquired Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women. Hence, observing personal behavioral practices (the source of infection and hygienic measures) are recommended to women at reproductive-age in general and seronegative pregnant women in particular.

Investigation of Toxoplasma gondii Seroprevalence in Preeclampsic Pregnant.

Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis and is a parasite of high medical importance with a wide host variety. Bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections during pregnancy may predispose women to pregnancy complications. Preeclampsia of unknown etiology causes special conditions such as systemic vascular endothelial damage due to insufficient trophoblastic invasion and abnormal placentation. There are data of an association between various maternal infections and preeclampsia/eclampsias. The aim of the study was to compare and analyze the relationship between the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgM and anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and in normotensive healthy pregnant women who were in the control group. In this study, 176 pregnant women who applied to our hospital between January 2019 and December 2020 were included. 88 (50%) of the pregnant women had pre-eclampsia and 88 (50%) were normotensive. The presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies in blood taken from pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and control group was investigated using ELISA. Because of the study, both groups were found to be seronegative in terms of anti-Toxoplasma IgM by ELISA. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG was found to be seropositive in 24 (27.3%) pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and 18 (20.5%) normotensive pregnant women. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of anti-Toxoplasma IgM and anti-Toxoplasma IgG seropositivity (X2=0.289, p>0.05) (p<0.05). Because of the study, no statistically significant difference was found between pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and those with toxoplasmosis. It was thought that further studies should be conducted to discuss the hormonal, vascular, etc. factors occurring in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia of T. gondii effect of preparing the ground for the changes and to reveal the existence of a possible relationship between pre-eclampsia and T. gondii seropositivity.

Association between TORCH infection and lupus anticoagulant antibody in pregnant women with recurrent abortion.

Abortion is a medical condition that describes pregnancy loss due to various causes including TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, others (syphilis and hepatitis B), rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection). TORCH infections may pass to the fetus that has low immunity to fight the disease, besides; the complications are much higher during the early stages of pregnancy which may involve abortion. Therefore, investigating the possible factors that could be associated with TORCH infection including the clotting factor lupus anticoagulant antibody is vital. In this study, TORCH antibodies in 33 pregnant women were assessed and then lupus anticoagulant antibodies were tested using Diagnostica Stago STart 4 Hemostasis Analyzer. The serum concentration of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) for toxoplasma, rubella and CMV were quantitatively determined with Cobas e411. The serum concentration of IgG for rubella and CMV increased in the blood were 90.9% and 66.6% of pregnant women respectively, while toxoplasma results showed an increasing level of IgG in 24.4% of patients. IgM levels for toxoplasma, rubella and CMV are elevated in 6.1%, 3.03% and 24.2% of patients respectively. Lupus anticoagulant antibody is increased in the blood of 72.7% of pregnant women. It was concluded that only rubella and CMV infections cause the increase of lupus anticoagulant antibodies in the tested pregnant women, not toxoplasmosis.

Investigation and analysis on the detection of IgG antibodies against the rubella virus among rural childbearing-age women in preconception period in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2019

A study was conducted on rural women of childbearing age aged 20-49 who underwent the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project (NFPHEP)in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2019. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the negative rate of IgG antibodies against the rubella virus and its differences among various socio-demographic characteristics. Among the 1 511 203 study subjects, the negative rate of IgG antibodies against the rubella virus was 24.36%. Only 2.64% of the population had received rubella virus vaccine. The negative rate of IgG antibodies among rural childbearing-age women in the preconception period in Yunnan Province decreased with age and educational level (Ptrend<0.001). The negative rate of IgG antibodies in ethnic minority women of childbearing age in the preconception period (25.19%) was higher than that of Han women (23.88%). Among the 22 ethnic groups with over 1 000 participants, the negative rates of IgG antibodies in women of childbearing age from the Blang (32.85%), Bouyei (31.03%), Zhuang (31.01%), and Miao (30.70%) ethnic groups were higher than those of women from other ethnic groups. Among the 16 states (cities) in Yunnan Province, the negative rate of IgG antibodies in pregnant women of childbearing age in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (38.06%) and Lincang City (32.63%) was higher than that in other states (cities). The negative rate of serum IgG antibodies in women who reported having received rubella virus vaccine (18.60%) was lower than that in other non-vaccinated populations (24.52%). The proportion of rural women of childbearing age in Yunnan Province who were susceptible to the rubella virus before pregnancy was still high. It is necessary to promote rubella vaccination among people susceptible to rubella, especially pregnant women, to prevent rubella virus infection and reduce the incidence rate and disease burden of rubella people.

Comparison of three immunoassays for detection of anti-toxoplasma IgM antibodies in pregnant women

Abstract Aim of investigation Comparison of an electrochemiluminescence technique (ECL, applied in Cobas 6000 instrument), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, applied in CHORUS instrument) and an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA, applied in MINI-VIDAS instrument) for early diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women. Medical diagnosis is required to determine the most sensitive techniques to diagnose this pathogen, in the framework of which is developed this scientific work. This is very important due to the multiple fetal infections during pregnancy. Methods ECL, ELISA and ELFA techniques are used to detect anti-toxoplasma IgM antibodies in pregnant women, during the first trimester of pregnancy. 200 samples were analyzed with each technique and sensitivity and specificity are evaluated for each of them. Results ECL technique has resulted in higher sensitivity (100%) and specificity (99.3%), while ELISA technique has resulted in lower sensitivity (87.5%) and specificity (97.3%). Conclusion Analysis of the results confirmed the usefulness of ECL technique for an early diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infections in pregnant women. Anyway, for diagnostic purposes, the results should always be assessed in conjuction with the patient’s medical history and other clinical examinations.

Seroepidemiology study of rubella virus antibodies among neonates and pregnant women at hospitals in Henan province, China.

Rubella virus infection can cause vertical transmission to the fetus during pregnancy. In China's Henan province, rubella surveillance needs to be well-established. In this research, a total of 1933 neonates and 2502 pregnant women were enrolled, and their sera for IgG and IgM antibodies against rubella were tested by chemiluminescence assay. Of 1933 neonates' sera tested, the seropositive of rubella IgG was 68.7%. The seroprevalence of rubella IgM in neonates was 0.4%. 30.9% of neonates had negative results for IgG and IgM antibodies. Two thousand five hundred and two pregnant women participated in the serosurvey, and 79.3% were rubella IgG positive. Rubella IgG seropositivity in pregnant women differed by age and number of births. 0.8% of the pregnant women had positive results for IgM against the rubella virus. The seronegative of rubella IgG and IgM antibodies in pregnant women was 19.8%. Due to the negative rubella-specific IgG antibody, many neonates remain at risk of rubella virus infection. Rubella virus continues to spread since some neonates and pregnant women with rubella-specific IgM antibody positive have been detected. Rubella vaccination may be introduced for childbearing-age women to increase immunity levels against rubella with periodic sero-surveillance.

Analysis of adverse neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with positive anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies

Objective: To investigate the relationship between positive anti-Ro/Sjögren syndrome antigen type A (SSA) antibody and anti-La/Sjögren syndrome antigen type B (SSB) antibody in pregnant women and neonatal adverse outcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective study, and 145 deliveries of 136 anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibody positive pregnant women were selected who had prenatal examination and delivered in Peking University First Hospital from January 2017 to June 2022. According to whether adverse neonatal outcomes occurred, 145 deliveries were divided into adverse outcome group (26 cases) and no adverse outcome group (119 cases). According to the time when anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies were found positive, 145 deliveries were divided into the antibody positive during pregnancy group (69 cases) and the pre-pregnancy antibody positive group (76 cases). The pregnancy outcomes, treatment and maternal and infant antibody levels of pregnant women between the adverse outcome group and no adverse outcome group, between antibody positive during pregnancy group and the pre-pregnancy antibody positive group were compared. Results: (1) Most of the pregnant women with positive anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies were diagnosed as undifferentiated connective tissue disease, accounting for 40.4% (55/136), followed by Sjogren's syndrome (25.0%, 34/136), systemic lupus erythematosus (23.5%, 32/136), antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (6.6%, 9/136), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (1.5%, 2/136), and 4 cases were not diagnosed. (2) The titers of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies in the first trimester and the second trimester were compared, and there were no statistical significances (all P>0.05). (3) The proportion of high level anti-Ro/SSA antibody (>100 kU/L), positive level of anti-La/SSB antibody and positive rate of anti-La/SSB antibody in the adverse outcome group were higher than those in the no adverse outcome group, and the birth weight of newborns and live birth rate in the adverse outcome group were lower than that in the no adverse outcome group, all with statistical significances (all P<0.05). The anti-Ro/SSA antibody level, the proportion of drug treatment (hydroxychloroquine, glucocorticoid, gamma globulin), the incidence of fetal growth restriction (FGR), the rate of preterm birth, and the positive level of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies in newborns were compared between the two groups, and there were no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05). (4) The anti-Ro/SSA antibody level of pregnant women in the pre-pregnancy antibody positive group, the proportion of hydroxychloroquine and glucocorticoid treatment, and the anti-Ro/SSA antibody positive rate of newborns were higher, while the incidence of FGR and gamma globulin treatment rate of newborns in the antibody positive during pregnancy group were higher, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The levels of anti-La/SSB antibodies in pregnant women, anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies in newborns, the positive rate of anti-La/SSB antibodies in newborns and the incidence of adverse outcomes were compared between the antibody positive during pregnancy group and the pre-pregnancy antibody positive group, and there were no statistical significances (all P>0.05). Conclusions: High concentrations of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies and co-positive anti-La/SSB antibodies during pregnancy may increase the incidence of adverse neonatal outcomes. There is no significant difference in the incidence of adverse neonatal outcomes between antibody positive pregnant women and antibody positive pregnant women who were first found during pregnancy after comprehensive treatment in the rheumatology and immunology department.

Investigating the impact of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccination on antibody response in pregnant women and their newborns.

This study aims to investigate the levels of receptor-binding domain (RBD), spike, and neutralizing antibodies in pregnant women who received the Sinopharm vaccine and their newborns. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary center, Mashhad, Iran. We included 88 pregnant women who had received at least two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. Maternal and umbilical cord blood samples taken at delivery were analyzed for antibodies using ELISA tests. Antibody levels did not vary significantly between women with two or three vaccine doses. Only 1.1% of mothers had undetectable levels of RBD antibodies, but detectable antibodies were observed in all newborns. A significant linear correlation was found between the levels of neutralizing antibodies (r = 0.7, p < 0.001) and RBD antibodies (r = 0.833, p < 0.001) in mothers and their newborns, but not for Spike antibodies (r = 0.214, p = 0.045). In mothers, high titers of antispike and RBD antibodies were observed at the time of delivery. The high titers of RBD and antispike antibodies were found in cord blood, suggesting potential neonatal immunity. Detectable levels of antibodies were found in both groups, regardless of the timing of vaccination. The Sinopharm vaccine generates detectable levels of antibodies in pregnant women, which are efficiently transferred to their newborns. The number of vaccine doses (two or three) did not significantly impact the levels of detectable antibodies. This underscores Sinopharm's potential efficacy in protecting pregnant women and their infants from COVID-19.

Sero-prevalence of rubella-specific antibodies in pregnant women attending antenatal care in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria

Context: Rubella is a disease caused by a virus –rubella virus. Major obstetrics concerns are profound effects of the virus on developing fetuses, which may result in multiple congenital malformations. Although vaccination has reduced the incidence of rubella virus substantially; the world health organization (WHO) estimated that more than 100,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome occur each year worldwide, most of them in developing countries. Diagnosis of rubella cannot be made on clinical grounds alone due to lack of specific symptoms or signs that are unique to the disease. Laboratory confirmation of suspected cases is done based on the detection of the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) during the acute illness or a significant rise in rubella – immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titres in the serum of previously infected individuals. Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at the antenatal clinic of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, Borno State, North-Eastern Nigeria. Eligible women who presented for booking for antenatal care at the hospital were recruited. Their bio-data, educational status, and history of vaccination with measles and previous obstetrics outcomes were obtained. Five milliliters of venous blood was taken and the serum obtained from the sample was analyzed for anti-rubella IgG antibodies. The samples that were negative for IgG were tested for IgM antibodies. Data obtained analyzed using the statistical package for social science SPSS v16.0.0 (Sept 13, 2007) Inc, Illinois, USA. Results: There were 459 pregnant women who consented and participated in the study. Their age range is 17-43 years (mean= 25.8±5.3). There were 280 (61.0%) patients who were multiparous (mean=3.5±2.1) and women with secondary education accounted for 39.4%. Four hundred twenty-one women (91.7%) women tested positive for rubella-specific IgG antibodies, and of the remaining 38 women, 6 (15.8%) were positive for IgM rubella-specific antibody. Most of the patients (98.1%) with positive IgG had serum titers in the range of 51-150U/mL. All the patients with positive IgM antibodies were followed up till birth, all the pregnancies were carried to term and none of the neonates was found to have any congenital malformation. None of the socio-demographic characteristics were found to be significantly associated with presence of IgG antibodies. Past history of abortions and congenital cataracts were significantly associated with IgG sero-positivity. Conclusion: The sero-prevalence of anti-rubella IgG sero-positivity is high in Maiduguri and this indicates high herd immunity. The number of pregnant women requiring rubella vaccination postpartum in also large. It is recommended that inclusion of rubella vaccination in the National programme on Immunization protocol will be cost effective in the control of rubella and CRS.

Frequency of HEV Antibodies in Pregnant Women and Its Association with Existent Risk Factors, Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an increasing global problem and high endemicity is observed in many developing countries. Pregnancy predisposes women to chronic infection and various complications.&#x0D; Objective: This study aimed to investigate sero-positivity of HEV and existent risk factors among pregnant women in Gezira State, Sudan.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional design was followed, and a non–probability convenience sampling technique was used to collect 120 venous blood samples from pregnant women. Separated serum specimens was used for the quantitative detection of specific anti-HEV IgM and IgG by competitive ELISA method (MIKROGEN GmbH - Germany).&#x0D; Results: The frequency of positive results for HEV IgG antibodies in the study population amounted to 44.2 (53/120). Of the 53 HEV IgG positive pregnant participants 47.2% (25/53) were in the third trimester period, 39.6% (21/53) had preterm labor, 39.6% (21/53) had a history of abortion and 24.5% (13/53) with jaundice. Significant association was found between HEV IgG positive women and preterm labor (p-value 0.004), and history of jaundice (p-value 0.009).&#x0D; Conclusion: This preliminary study highlighted the high frequency of sero-positivity of hepatitis E virus in pregnant women in the studied area of Sudan.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in a population of pregnant women and evaluation of their knowledge about Chagas Disease and its vectors

This study aimed at determining prevalence of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in pregnant women in the extreme south of Brazil and at evaluating their knowledge about Chagas Disease (CD) and its vectors. The study was carried out in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Brazil. The Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) was used for the triage and, when it was reagent, results were confirmed by the Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA). A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to evaluate patients’ knowledge. The Chi-squared test was used for evaluating correlations among variables under study while an Odds Ratio was conducted when associations were statistically significant. Only 33 (27.7%) out of 119 pregnant women under investigation underwent the serological test to identify T. cruzi because the study was carried out in the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prevalence was 6.1% (2 cases). Only 26.9% of pregnant women were able to identify triatominae and 66.4% did not know that the heart could be affected by CD. Associations between variables “lived/have lived in a rural area” and “having found ‘kissing bugs’ in the household”; “high schooling level” and “knowing that CD causes heart disorders”; and “stating that they know what CD is” and “identifying triatominae” exhibited statistical significance. Results showed that the rate of positive pregnant women is high and needs attention, even though the size of the sample is a limiting factor. Besides, the patients’ lack of knowledge about the disease and its vectors shows the importance of educational interventions.