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

Abstract

Background: Congenital toxoplasmosis during early pregnancy may lead to fetal death or cause irreversible complications in the fetus. In the present research, the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies was determined in pregnant women with a history of spontaneous abortion in comparison with women of normal pregnancy course referring to Bushehr medical centers. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 150 blood samples were collected from pregnant women with a history of spontaneous abortion and normal pregnancy course referred to Bushehr medical centers from May 2020 to May 2021. Sera were tested for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies using the ELISA method. The test results along with the questionnaire information were analyzed using SPSS-16 software and Chi-square test. Results: A total of 18.7% were seropositive and 81.3% were seronegative for anti-Toxoplasma IgG/IgM antibodies. The comparison of the two groups of women showed that there was a significant relationship between the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody and spontaneous abortion and also education level, place of residence and method of washing vegetables; however, there was no statistically significant relationship between infection and some of the analyzed variables, such as history of contact with cats, number of pregnancies, deliveries and abortions, and some nutritional behaviors. Conclusion: Chronic form of toxoplasmosis can be considered a factor for recurrent miscarriage in pregnant women. Due to the emphasis of some researchers on the non-significance of this relationship, the subject is debatable and needs further studies.

Keywords

• toxoplasmosis
• history of spontaneous abortion
• pregnancy
• igg and igm antibodies