Korean J Parasitol.  2012 Dec;50(4):371-374.

Evaluation of Anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM, and IgA in Mothers with Spontaneous Abortion in Zanjan, Northwest Iran

• Amin A
• Mazloomzadeh S
• Haniloo A
• Mohammadian F
• Fazaeli A

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the major agents of infectious abortions and due to its worldwide distribution can threat healthy pregnant women who had no previous exposure to this parasite. The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of T. gondii to spontaneous abortions in Zanjan, Northwest of Iran, using ELISA method. Blood Samples were collected from 264 mothers referred to the provincial hospitals of Zanjan due to spontaneous abortion. The sera were isolated and subjected to evaluate the anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. The results showed IgG positive (IgG+) in 99 cases (37.5%). A total of 68 women (25.8%) showed seroconversion with IgM or IgA or both IgM and IgA. They included: IgM+ in 21 (8.0%), IgA+ in 23 (8.7%) and both IgM+ and IgA+ in 24 (9.1%) subjects. In 23 cases, positive titers of IgM and IgG were accompanied. In general, the analysis of anti-Toxoplasma antibody patterns, showed that about 17% of the spontaneous abortions were associated with serological patterns of acute infection. According to these findings, a considerable proportion of spontaneous abortions can be attributed to T. gondii in the study area.

Keyword

Toxoplasma gondii; abortion; serology; Iran

MeSH Terms

Abortion, Spontaneous/immunology/*parasitology
Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood
Cross-Sectional Studies
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin A/blood
Immunoglobulin G/blood
Immunoglobulin M/blood
Iran/epidemiology
Mothers
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/*immunology/parasitology
Toxoplasma/*immunology
Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/*immunology/parasitology
Antibodies, Protozoan
Immunoglobulin A
Immunoglobulin G
Immunoglobulin M