Gondii IgM Research Articles

Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: test, treatment and outcome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to share the results, follow-up, and treatment characteristics of our pregnant women who were followed-up with anti-Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin (Ig) M positivity during pregnancy. Methods: Anti-T. gondii IgM- and IgG-positive pregnant women were evaluated between 2014-2018. Demographic characteristics, treatment, and information about pregnancy were obtained from the electronic database. Pregnant women were divided into three groups; primary infection, no infection, and suspected infection in pregnancy. Primary and suspected infection in pregnancy were followed up congenital toxoplasmosis risky pregnancy. Fetal ultrasonography (USG), T. gondii DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result in amniotic fluid were recorded. Results: Twenty-four pregnant women with a mean age of 27.9 years were followed up. IgG avidity results were low in 37.5% (n = 9), intermediate avidity in 8.3% (n = 2), and high avidity in 54.2% (n = 13) of pregnant women. Eleven (45.9%) pregnant women had congenital toxoplasmosis risky pregnancy. Fetal USG was performed on ten pregnant women, and no signs of congenital toxoplasmosis were found. Amniocentesis was performed in 72.7% (n = 8) of the participants, and the amniotic fluid T. gondii DNA-PCR result was negative in all of them. Ten (90.9%) pregnancies resulted in mature birth and one (9.1%) resulted in miscarriage. Conclusions: Anti-T. gondii IgM positivity is an indication of acute infection. But IgM can persist for years, and be false-positive in pregnancy. Therefore, additional tests are required, and leading to emotional distress and unnecessary interventions in pregnacy women. These results can aid in developing an approach to screening and diagnosis of T. gondii infection in pregnancy.

Toxoplasma Gondii Enhances Oxidative Stress in Pregnant Women: A Case-Control Study

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes the disease Toxoplasmosis. Acute infection of T. gondii in pregnant women is dangerous because the parasite can transmit into developing foetus and can cause congenital toxoplasmosis. To assess the prevalence of T. gondii infection, its association with pregnancy and the impact of this parasite on generating oxidative stress, ninety-two pregnant women and sixty-five age matched non-pregnant control subjects were enrolled in this study. Using an immunological assay with a rapid test cassette, T. gondii specific IgG antibody was detected in 25% pregnant women while it was found only 9.2% in non-pregnant healthy control subjects, suggesting that a higher percentage of pregnant women carried chronic T. gondii infection compared to control subjects. Anti-T. gondii IgM was also tested and found to be positive in only 3.3 % pregnant women as compared to control. Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis was carried out with the DNA isolated from blood of both anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG positive pregnant women and was found to be negative for T. gondii REP-529 gene, suggesting a chronic infection. Our data suggest that pregnant women who were in contact with cat in their third trimester of pregnancy demonstrated a significantly higher association with acquiring infection. Furthermore, to determine any association of T. gondii infection with oxidative stress in pregnant women, oxidative stress markers were assessed in plasma samples. The total oxidative stress was found to be higher in T. gondii positive subjects compared to T. gondii negative samples whereas total antioxidant defence was observed to be slightly decreased in T. gondii positive pregnant women. It can primarily be said that chronic T. gondii infection in pregnant women may increase oxidative stress and this, therefore, may act as a risk factor for congenital toxoplasmosis. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 31(1): 79-91, 2022 (January)

Diagnostic Value of Circulating Antigens in the Serum of Piglets with Experimental Acute Toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite, infects all warm-blooded animals, including a third of the human population. Laboratory diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis is based on the detection of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG and T. gondii nucleic acid; however, these assays have certain limitations. Circulating Ags (CAgs) are reliable diagnostic indicators of acute infection. In this study, we established a model of acute T. gondii infection in Large White pigs. CAg levels peaked between 3 and 5 d after inoculation, and 28 CAgs were identified using an immunoprecipitation-shotgun approach, among which dolichol-phosphate-mannose synthase family protein (TgDPM), C3HC zinc finger-like protein (TgZFLP3), and ribosomal protein RPL7 (TgRPL7) were selected to further investigate their value in the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that TgDPM and TgRPL7 were localized in the membrane surface, while TgZFLP3 was localized in the apical end. Western blotting revealed the presence of the three proteins in the serum during acute infection. Indirect ELISA results indicate that TgZFLP3 is likely to be a novel candidate for the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis. However, these three proteins may not be useful as candidate vaccines against toxoplasmosis owing to their low protective ability. In addition, deletion of the zflp3 gene partially attenuated virulence in Kunming mice. Collectively, we identified 28 CAgs in the serum of piglets with experimental acute toxoplasmosis and confirmed that TgZFLP3 is a potential biomarker for acute T. gondii infection. The results of this study provide data to improve the detection efficiency of acute toxoplasmosis.

The association of IL-3, IL-17A, and IL 27 serum levels with susceptibility to toxoplasmosis in recurrent abortion of Iraqi women

Cytokines are a group of immunomodulatory proteins leading to a variety of immune reactions in the human; these cytokines play a significant role in the development of appropriate immune responses against T. gondii. This study aims to reveal the association of toxoplasmosis with serum levels of IL-3, IL-17A, and IL-27 in aborted women. The blood samples of patients and controls were collected from Al-Alawiya Maternity Teaching Hospital/Baghdad/Iraq from 2019 to 2020 for detecting anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG and IgM) and the level of interleukins by ELISA. The results of TORCH by rapid test for recurrent abortion recorded 25.3% seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, and 31.5% seropositive for one or more cases of TORCH test (Cytomegalovirus, Rubella, and Herpes). Whereas the results for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were shown elevated positivity percentages by ELISA test; these percentages were 56.2% in recurrent abortion women with significant differences (P < 0.05). The results suggested that the IL-3 serum concentration of pregnant women, recurrent abortion, and recurrent abortion with toxoplasmosis was declined versus healthy women with significant differences (p < 0.05). However, the results revealed that the concentration of IL-17A in recurrent abortion, and recurrent abortion with toxoplasmosis elevated versus healthy women and pregnant women with significant difference (p < 0.05). Whereas the results indicated that the IL-27 serum concentration elevated with significant differences in recurrent abortion with toxoplasmosis group compared to healthy women, pregnant women, and recurrent abortion. Interestingly, the serum levels for IL-27 increased comparing to the levels of IL-3 and IL-17A in all groups with significant differences (P < 0.05). In conclusion, it appeared in this study that the role of IL-3, IL-17A, and IL-27 in the maternal immune response during infections can lead to abortion.

The Screening of Rubella Virus, Cytomegalovirus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Prepregnancy and Reproductive-Age Women in Tabriz, Iran.

Objectives The organisms of Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus as an acronym of TORCH are major pathogens in prepregnancy and reproductive-age women. These microorganisms are considered a serious problem and cause 2-3% of all birth defects in the fetus. Our study was aimed at screening the seroprevalence of TORCH antibodies among prepregnancy and reproductive-age women in Tabriz, Iran. Design and Setting. This study was carried out in 2726 prepregnancy and reproductive-age women, who were referred to the laboratory for prenatal TORCH screening. To detect the presence of IgG, IgM antibodies and Hepatitis B surface antigen against these microorganisms were carried out using a chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer (CLIA). Results In the current study, the rates of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG, anti-Rubella virus IgG, and anti-Cytomegalovirus IgG were found in 722 cases (26.5%), 2579 cases (94.6%0), and 2718 cases (99.7%), respectively. Moreover, the rates of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM, anti-Rubella virus IgM, and anti-Cytomegalovirus IgM were discovered in 10 cases (0.4%), 13 cases (0.5%), and 16 cases (0.6%), respectively. The Hepatitis B surface antigen was found in 32 cases (1.2%). The dissemination of positive TORCH in various ages was different (P < 0.05). Conclusions In our study, the seroprevalence of acute TORCH infections was relatively low. Due to the probability of vertical transmission to the fetus during pregnancy and the unpleasant complication of these pathogens, it is essential to be screened for detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies in reproductive ages.

Primary Toxoplasma gondii infection-associated with hemophagocytic syndrome in a man with HIV infection: a case report

BackgroundReactivation of latent Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is more common than primary infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We report a rare case of primary T. gondii infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS).Case presentationA man with HIV infection presented with fever, dyspnea and pancytopenia. He was diagnosed with primary T. gondii infection by the seroconversion from single-positive IgM antibody to double-positive IgM and IgG antibody. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of a plasma sample yielded high reads of T. gondii DNA. He responded well to combined anti-Toxoplasma medicines and glucocorticoid treatment.ConclusionsIn patients with HPS and positive T. gondii IgM antibody, mNGS analysis of a peripheral blood sample is helpful in diagnosing disseminated T. gondii infection. The dynamic changes by serological detection for IgM and IgG of T. gondii further supported the inference that the patient has experienced a primary T. gondii infection.

Determination of Low IgG Class Antibody Avidity Percentage by IgM Levels Specific to Toxoplasma Gondii.

Ig (Immunglobulin) M detection and low avidity index are markers of recent infection in differentiating acute and chronic stages of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infections. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the anti-T. gondii IgM antibody index threshold value could be a predictive factor in the estimation of low avidity and its use in improving the diagnosis of early toxoplasma infection. Anti-T. gondii IgM, IgG antibody and IgG avidity results were analyzed. Anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in blood samples were studied with chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), and IgG avidity test was performed with Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technique. The overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG and/or IgM) was 19.4%. Of the 64 patients whose avidity tests were studied, 47 (73.4%) were female. Twenty seven (57.4%) of the women were pregnant. In the IgG avidity test, 7.8% low avidity was detected. Low avidity was detected in only 4 (15.4%) of 26 IgM positive cases. IgM analysis of a case (6-month-old baby) with low avidity was found to be negative. In the prediction of low avidity, the assay's IgM positivity cutoff value was ≥ 0.6, its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 80%, 62.7%, 2.3%, and 99.7%, respectively. With Architect, 37.3% of samples were false positive. Determining the IgM index cutoff value was unsuccessful in distinguishing low avidity. The area under the ROC curve was 0.574 (p = 0.60). In our study, the positive predictive value of the IgM test kit in estimating low avidity was low and the false positivity rate was 37.3%. It is thought that the index cutoff value of the anti-T. gondii IgM antibody test kit cannot be considered as a good predictor of recent infection. Studies with larger patient groups are needed.

Saliva and tear as useful tools for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii in human specimens: a systematic review.

Toxoplasmosis is diagnosed by serology, mainly using invasive specimens such as serum or cerebrospinal fluid. This study aimed to investigate whether saliva and tear samples can be used instead of serum samples to diagnose Toxoplasma gondii. Five English-language databases were checked up to 2021. Other types of non-invasive samples (milk and urine) were excluded from this study. In 15 cross-sectional studies, a total of 4338 saliva samples were examined, out of which 718/3848 (18.66%), 30/200 (15%), and 60/122 (49.18%) samples were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies, respectively. And for tear samples, a total of 723 samples in cross-sectional studies and 153 cases and 97 controls in case-control studies were included, out of which 199/538 (36.98%) and 155/247 (62.75%) samples were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgA antibodies in cross-sectional studies and 86/128 (67.18%), 1/53 (1.88%), and 78/153 (50.98%) cases and 4/47 (8.51%), 0/47 (0%), and 12/97 (12.37%) controls were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies in case-control studies, respectively. The results suggested that antibody levels in saliva and tear samples in humans could be useful for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, especially ocular toxoplasmosis using tear samples.

The effect of Toxoplasma gondii on some critical immunological markers in rheumatoid arthritis Iraqi patients.

Toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) affects one-third of the world human population. One of immune evasion strategy in the host-parasite interplay is HLA-G level alteration. HLA-G known as a special proteins (non-classical HLA class I) molecules which can suppress the immune system and its capability of modulating natural killer cell (NK) function such as cytotoxicity and cytokine production through NK cell receptors, specially KIR2DL4 receptor. KIR2DL4 a member of KIR family, featured with both inhibitory and activating functional structure, has been described as the specific receptor for HLA-G. So, this study aimed to investigate the alteration in sHLA-G and its receptor levels could be impressed by present of Toxoplasma and rheumatoid as well as the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was investigated. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG was significantly higher in arthritic patients (50%) compared with (41.6%) in healthy controls. No positive anti-T. gondii IgM was detected. The results showed that treated RA patients without Toxoplasma had the highest significant (P≤0.01) increase level of sHLA-G in comparison to RA untreated patients, also treated RA patients without Toxoplasma showed high significant increase (P≤0.01) of sHLA-G in comparison to untreated RA patients, while the level of sHLA-G in patients with toxoplasmosis only significantly (P≤0.01) increased in comparison to control, whilst that treated RA patients without Toxoplasma had the highest significant (P≤0.01) increase level of KIR2DL4 in comparison to RA untreated patients, while, treated RA patients with Toxoplasma showed high significant increase (P≤0.01) of KIR2DL4 in comparison to RA untreated patient. Also, the results of the level of KIR2SL4 in patients with toxoplasmosis only showed significantly (P≤0.01) decreased in comparison to control. The present study describes the change in HLA-G and KIR2DL4 levels in present of Toxoplasma and RA.

Procena nivoa testosterona, dehidroepiandrosterona i prolaktina kod parova sa sterilitetom inficiranih i neinficiranih parazitom Toxoplasma gondii, koji su posećivali Centar za lečenje steriliteta Fatma Al-Zahra u Babolu, u Iranu

Introduction/Aims: Toxoplasmosis modifies various hormones and cytokines in the infected hosts which may result in several disorders. This study was conducted to assess testosterone, DHEA, and prolactin concentration levels among Toxoplasma gondii infected and uninfected infertile couples. Methods: Blood samples were collected and sera were separated. The sera were analyzed for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma (IgG&amp; IgM) antibodies using commercial ELISA kits. The level of DHEA was measured by ELISA and the levels of testosterone and prolactin were evaluated by enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA, VIDAS). Results: The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 58.0% (218/376). Among women, 56.9% (107/188) and 6.5% (7/107) were positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies IgG and IgM, respectively. The IgG and IgM were detected in the sera of 111/188 (59.0%) and 9/111 (8.1%) in male subjects, respectively. A positive association was observed between T. gondii infection and the upper and lower ranges of the normal value of testosterone in males (x 2 = 6.8, p = 0.033) but not in females (x 2 = 0.62, p = 0.99). A positive correlation was seen between toxoplasmosis and the upper and lower ranges of the normal value of prolactin in females (x 2 = 6.5, p = 0.039) but not in male cases (x 2 = 1.06, p = 0.59). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated no statistically significant differences between the level of sexual hormones between Toxoplasma-infected individuals and Toxoplasma-free subjects suffering from infertility. These findings suggest that further studies should be performed on infertile cases with large sample sizes in a case-control format.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M Antibodies among Leukemia Patients in Erbil City-Kurdistan Region/Iraq by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Technique

The current study was revealed the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM among different types of leukemia (Acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma [HL], multiple myeloma [MM], non-HL [NHL], and chronic myeloid leukemia) from male and female patients in different age groups (18–≥48 years) using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results of 140 cases of different types of leukemia showed the highest T. gondii IgG (44.44%) among MM leukemia whereas T. gondii IgM highest (12.5%) among NHL leukemia. Significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences between T. gondii antibodies and age group were recorded, that increased with the age of Leukemia patients. Hence, it could be concluded that multiple myeloid leukemia is strong immunocompromised and high significant (P ≤ 0.01) with toxoplasmosis.

A prospective cohort study of newborns born to mothers with serum Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin M positivity during pregnancy

IntroductionThe aims were to investigate the clinical characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) immunoglobulin (Ig) M-positive mothers and to clarify the incidences of serum T. gondii IgM or blood T. gondii DNA positivity in newborns born to the mothers and the actual congenital T. gondii infection. MethodsMothers with T. gondii IgM positivity and newborns born to the mothers from 2013 to 2020 were prospectively investigated. Serum T. gondii IgG and IgM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood T. gondii DNA was detected by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction. Congenital T. gondii infection was diagnosed based on clinical characteristic manifestations with serum T. gondii IgG positivity at any age or T. gondii IgG positivity after 12 months of age. ResultsAmong 71 T. gondii IgM-positive mothers, including one with triplets, 41% had low T. gondii IgG avidity index and 73% received maternal therapy. Among 73 newborns who were examined for serum T. gondii IgG and IgM at birth, none had clinical manifestations, and one (1.4%) had T. gondii IgM positivity. Among 32 newborns who were examined for blood T. gondii DNA at birth, two (6.3%) were positive. All patients with serum T. gondii IgM or blood T. gondii DNA positivity showed T. gondii IgG negativity within 12 months of age. ConclusionsA few newborns born to T. gondii IgM-positive mothers were suspected of having congenital T. gondii infection based on serum T. gondii IgM or blood T. gondii DNA testing at birth. However, none developed congenital T. gondii infection.

An Investigation into the Association Between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Bipolar Disorder

Studies have implicated Toxoplasma gondii in the etiology of mental disorders because of its neurotropic nature and its ability to modulate neurotransmitter pathways. This study aims to investigate T. gondii seroprevalence in patients with bipolar disorder and in healthy controls living in the Isparta Region of Turkey and to assess the probable relationship between T. gondii and bipolar disorder. Fourty-eight patients with bipolar disorder and 50 healthy controls were included in the study. Sociodemographic data, possible risk factors for T. gondii infection and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Serum anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibody levels were measured by using chemiluminescence immunoassay method (Roche Cobas e601 analyzer, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity rates were determined as 18.8% and 20% in the patient group and the control group, respectively. No statistically significant relationship was observed between T. gondii IgG seropositivity and bipolar disorder (p=0.876). In the study population, advanced age, low education level, living in a rural region and consumption of unwashed raw vegetable or fruit were found to be the significant risk factors for T. gondii infection (p<0.05). Our preliminary findings do not support the hypothesis that T. gondii infection is related to bipolar disorder. However, further studies would require larger sample sizes to confirm our results.

Is Toxoplasma gondii Infection Associated with Sexual Promiscuity? A Cross-Sectional Study.

We determined the association between T. gondii seropositivity and a history of sexual promiscuity. The study included 3933 people (mean age: 41.81 ± 14.31 years) who attended public health facilities. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Enzyme immunoassays were used to determine anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 57 (18.1%) of 315 individuals with sexual promiscuity and in 374 (10.3%) of 3618 individuals without this practice (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.41–2.60; p < 0.0001). High (>150 IU/mL) levels of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 29 (9.2%) of the 315 participants with sexual promiscuity and in 167 (4.6%) of the 3618 participants without this history (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.38–3.16; p = 0.0003). The association of sexual promiscuity with T. gondii seropositivity and serointensity was observed in men but not in women. Sexual promiscuity was associated with T. gondii seropositivity in all age groups studied (≤30 years, 31–50 years, and >50 years) and with T. gondii serointensity in two age groups (≤30 years, and >50 years). No difference in the frequencies of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies among the groups was found. Our findings indicate that T. gondii seropositivity and serointensity are associated with sexual promiscuity.

Effect of Toxoplasma gondii on Some Physiological Indicators in Women's Patients with Diabetic Mellitus Type 2

Aims: Diabetes mellitus is thought to be caused by infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, although this is still debated, In order to better understand the potential link between toxoplasmosis and diabetes mellitus&#x0D; Study Design: China's prevalence rate of diabetes has been gradually growing in recent years, as a result of the country's rising living standards.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: 40 patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus who were randomly chosen from the Diabetes Mellitus clinic in Al-Sadder Teaching City in Al-Najaf governorate.&#x0D; Methodology: Prior research "on the link between T. gondii infection and diabetes mellitus has been conflicting, we performed matched case-control studies to see whether T. gondii seropositivity is linked" to type 2 diabetes, more research is required. To investigate T. gondii seroprevalence and recognize risk factors and potential transmital pathways of T. gondii infection in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), forty women's blood samples have been gathered and tested for anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM, and SOD. T. gondii seroprevalence in T2DM patients as a whole. Patients' information was collected through a questionnaire that included their age, weight, and blood pressure. Each patient and control participant had five milliliters of venous blood samples collected using a disposable needle and plastic syringes.&#x0D; Results: Patients ranged in age about from (35 to 65) years old. The current investigation was performed on 40 patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus, Diabetic and T. gondii patientshad a significantly higher compared with control and Diabetic patients only. Also, there were significant differences between patients of diabetic mellitus and control.&#x0D; Conclusion: Blood was permitted to clot for 10 minutes at room temperature before being centrifuged at 6000 rpm for 10 minutes, after which serum was extracted and transferred into fresh disposable tubes. An ELISA test was performed on the blood samples earlier using commercially available kits (EIA-3519 IgG and IgM Germany) and SOD kits.

Evaluation of Seropositivity of Toxoplasmosis Suspected Patients Admitted to the National Parasitology Reference Laboratory Between 2009 and 2019

Toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which is an obligatory intracellular parasite, is a worldwide zoonotic parasitic disease. In this study, results of T. gondii test conducted between January 2009 and May 2019 were analysed. This study aimed to evaluate the results of T. gondii test of patients who were admitted to the General Directorate of Public Health, National Parasitology Reference Laboratory between 2009 and 2019. The results of anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM, IgG avidity and Sabin-Feldman dye tests (SFDT), which are used to detect the presence of T. gondii, were examined. ELISA was used for anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM and IgG avidity tests. SFDT, which is the reference test in the diagnosis of T. gondii, is still the gold standard. In addition to laboratory analyses, information on gender, age, city of origin, year distribution of all cases and type of sample sent was also collected. Of the 2.778 patients evaluated, 25.4% were males and 74.6% were females. Moreover, 47.1% and 10.2% of the patients were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG and anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies, respectively. In SFDT, 1.228 (52%) patients were found to be positive, including 319 (59.4%) of 537 men and 909 (49.8%) of 1.824 women. In this 10-year study, the most common seropositivity titre of SFDT was at the level of 1/64. In our study, IgG levels were found to be positive in all cases in which IgG avidity was studied when all the cases in which all three of the anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM and IgG avidity tests were studied together in one patient were evaluated. In addition, of the 293 patients with positive anti-T. gondii IgG, 62.8% had high avidity, 24.2% had a limit value and 13% had a low avidity. In cases involving both mother and baby, anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM seropositivity rates were 80% and 5% for both, respectively. These high rates support the transfer of antibodies from the mother to the baby. Regarding the distribution of provinces from which the samples originated, the highest number of cases came from Ankara (80.7%). Blood is the most predominant sample, followed by cerebrospinal fluid. T. gondii maintains its importance in public health, owing to its high positivity rates. This study, in which 10-year data were collected, showed that despite an increase in awareness, high seropositivity still continues. Therefore, systematic collection and evaluation of laboratory analysis results for toxoplasmosis diagnosis will contribute in taking control measures.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Pregnant Women Admitted to a State Hospital in Mersin, 2019

This study aimed to retrospectively reveal the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in pregnant women with routine pregnancy follow-up. Anti-T. gondii IgM-IgG antibody values of pregnant women aged 16-49 years, who had routine pregnancy follow-up in January-December 2019 were analysed retrospectively. Of the 1.832 serum samples, in which the anti-T. gondii IgG test was studied, 28.7% were found to be positive, 70.4% were negative and 0.9% was found to be suspicious. For anti-T. gondii IgM, 0.7% of the 1.844 serum samples were evaluated as positive, 99.5% as negative and 0.1% as suspicious. The positivity rates was observed to increase as age decreases in anti-Toxoplasma IgM (r=0.144, p=0.001), and the positivity rates increase as the age increases in the anti-Toxoplasma IgG (r=0.061, p=0.001). In the nationality evaluation, the anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG positivity rates were observed to be higher in Syrian pregnant women compared to Turkish pregnant women. In our study, a significant portion of pregnant women were observed to be non-immune to the agent, and therefore informing these people about the protection methods from the parasite in order to prevent infection occurrence is important.

Association between Suicide and Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity.

This study aimed to determine the association between suicide and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) seropositivity. Serum samples of 89 decedents who committed suicide (cases) and 58 decedents who did not commit suicide (controls) were tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were further detected by enzyme-linked fluorescence assay (ELFA). A total of 8 (9.0%) of the 89 cases and 6 (10.3%) of the 58 controls were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.28–2.60; p = 0.78). Anti-T. gondii IgG levels were higher than 150 IU/mL in two (2.2%) cases and in five (8.6%) controls (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.04–1.30; p = 0.11). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were not found in any case or control using the enzyme immunoassay and were found in only one (1.7%) control using ELFA (p = 0.39). Rates of IgG seropositivity and high levels of anti-T. gondii antibodies were similar in cases and in controls regardless of their sex or age groups. The results do not support an association between T. gondii seropositivity and suicide. However, the statistical power of the test was low. Further research is necessary to confirm this lack of association.

Stage-Specific Oligonucleotide Primers for the Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis Among Iranian Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients; Evaluation of Cotrimoxazole as a Preventive Therapy

Background: Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic infection that affects solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The parasite transmission may be occurred from a Toxoplasma-seropositive donor to a Toxoplasma-seronegative recipient by organ transplantation. Objectives: In this study, a nested PCR was carried out using different primers targeting the B1, SAG4, and MAG1 genes to assess Toxoplasma infection in pediatric heart transplantation at Shahid Rajaei Heart Center in Tehran. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 46 pediatric heart transplant patients aged 1 - 17 years referring to Rajaei Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center from 2018 - 2019. All patients were on oral administration of Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole). Blood samples were collected, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation using the Ficoll gradient method was performed. DNA was extracted from PBMC, and nested PCR was carried out. Serologic tests were performed using ELISA to determine IgG and IgM anti - Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. Results: The results of serologic tests showed that all 46 patients had negative anti-T. gondii IgM antibody. Furthermore, 6 (13.05%) and 3 (6.5 %) out of the 46 patients were positive for IgG T. gondii antibody before and after transplantation, respectively. All 46 patients were evaluated using PCR using B1, MAG-1, and SAG-4 genes, and PCR results were negative. Conclusions: In general, due to the negative results of Toxoplasma with PCR using B1 and bradyzoite-specific genes (SAG-4 and MAG-1), it is possible that the results obtained in this study are because of prophylaxis with cotrimoxazole.

Toxoplasma gondii infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors for women of childbearing age in Osun State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic infection caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. Prevalence and risk factors of T. gondii infection in women of childbearing age in Osun State, Nigeria are unknown. This study was aimed to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors in acquiring T. gondii infection by women of childbearing age in Osun State, Nigeria. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2019 to December 2019 in childbearing age women. Sera of 415 women aged 18–49 years randomly selected were collected and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. A questionnaire survey was administered for all study participants to collect socio-demographic and risk factors data. The study revealed that the overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 76.63%, which comprised 6.02% positivity for anti-T. gondii IgM (25/415), 44.10% for IgG (183/415) and 26.51% for IgG plus IgM (110/415). Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies to T. gondii (6.02%) suggested recent infections. Women residing in rural communities and women of Islam religion showed significant association with anti-T. gondii seropositivity (p < 0.05). Residence location and women who are of Islam religion are risk factors to acquire T. gondii infection. Hence, health education and awareness on the disease and its transmission to women of childbearing age group in general and pregnant women in particular should be created during antenatal follow up to reduce the risk of T. gondii infection in pregnant women.