Performance of a Toxo IgM prototype assay for the diagnosis of maternal and congenital Toxoplasma infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 1959-1964
Author(s):  
Martine Wallon ◽  
Hélène Fricker-Hidalgo ◽  
Emmanuelle Chapey ◽  
Claire Bailet ◽  
Céline Dard ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundTesting for anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin (Ig)M is of main importance in the context of pregnancy to promptly alert to an acute maternal infection prior to the detection of IgG and to identify infected newborns. Their absence helps exclude a recent maternal infection in the presence of IgG.MethodsThe performance of a Toxo IgM immunocapture prototype assay (bioMérieux, France) was compared with that of the VIDAS® Toxo IgM and the ARCHITECT® Toxo IgM (Abbott, Germany) assays at Grenoble and Lyon (France). A total of 1446 sera were sampled from (i) 1054 pregnant women found by routine workup to have no infection (n = 843), an acute infection (<4 months) (n = 28) or a chronic infection (>4 months) with residual (n = 120) or no IgM (n = 62); (ii) 50 three-serum panels sampled immediately after a maternal seroconversion; (iii) 242 samples taken in 41 children with a congenital toxoplasmosis (n = 122) and in 40 uninfected children (n = 120).ResultsIn pregnant women, the overall agreement with the VIDAS® assay was 99.23% (CI: 99.16–99.27) and that with the ARCHITECT® assay was 99.14% (CI: 99.07–99.17). Sensitivity of the Toxo IgM prototype assay was 100% (CI: 87.66–100.00) and specificity was 99.64% (98.96–99.93). In acute maternal infections, IgM assays were detected as early with the prototype as with the other two. In the congenitally infected children, IgM were detected on their first sample in 25/40 with the prototype vs. 23/40 with the VIDAS® test. No uninfected child had positive IgM. ConclusionThe prototype performed comparably to the ARCHITECT® and VIDAS® Toxo IgM assays for the diagnosis of maternal and congenital toxoplasmosis.

2010 ◽  
Vol 138 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 333-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snezana Brkic ◽  
Gorana Gajski ◽  
Mirjana Bogavac ◽  
Daniela Maric ◽  
Vesna Turkulov ◽  
...  

Introduction Toxoplasmosis is an acute infectious anthropozoonotic disease with mild asymptomatic clinical manifestations in immunocompetent persons and more severe in immunocompromised patients. Acute infection in pregnancy can result in severe congenital toxoplasmosis with severe sequels. Objective Aims of study were to detect Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in general population of Vojvodina, Serbia, differences between genders and determination of seroprevalence in women of reproductive age and pregnant women. Methods Our retrospective study was conducted from 2006 to 2008 including 625 immunocompetent patients, hospitalized or observed as outpatients at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Novi Sad. We performed commercial ELISA kits SERION - ELISA classic test by VIRION for the presence of specific IgG and IgM antibodies. According to seroepidemiological aim of the study, our results were presented only in qualitative values. Results We observed 173 male and 452 female patients. Seroprevalence in general population of Vojvodina was 38.1%. In male population seroprevalence was 45.7%, and in female population it was 35.2%, the difference which was statistically significant (p<0.05). Seroprevalence increased with age and seroconversion was detected to occur in persons aged about 20 years. In all female patients, 353 (78.1%) were in reproductive age with seroprevalence of 30%. In 161 pregnant women seroprevalence was 31.7%. Conclusion In this study we screened actual seroepidemiological situation to Toxoplasma gondii in Vojvodina, thus giving a contribution to the continuous epidemiological screening done in this region and in the country. According to our results, almost 70% of women in reproductive age were sensitive to primary acute infection during further pregnancies, which is highly important for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis. Although not routinely conducted in many countries, routine serological testing to Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women and their education about preventive measures against this infection could be an effective measure in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-338
Author(s):  
Özgür Koçak ◽  
Özgür Kan

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is an important parasite that can cause permanent sequelae to the fetus when infected during pregnancy in humans. Although the frequency of this parasite varies widely between countries, it is known that it is common in our country. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasma in pregnant women admitted to a tertiary hospital in central Anatolia and to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes together with seroprevalence. Materials and Methods: A total of 9311 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital between January 2016 and December 2018 were included into the study. After serological examination, avidity test was performed in cases suggestive of acute infection. Amniocentesis was recommended to be performed by Polimeraze Chain Reaction (PCR) in patients with low avidity. Results: The frequency of Toxoplasma immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M seropositivity rates were 20.3% and 0.28%, respectively. Low avidity was found in approximately 27% of the patients with IgM positivity, and only 15.4% had low avidity by confirmatory test. One patient could not be reached during follow-up. PCR was performed in 4 patients whose low avidity value was confirmed by re-tests and all of their PCR results were reported negative. No cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were detected during the 3 years in our clinic. Conclusion: The inclusion of toxoplasma in routine screening programme is still controversial and differs between countries. Screening in areas with a high rate of toxoplasma, such as in our country, may be rational. If infection is detected, treatment may be recommended because it may reduce the transmission to the fetus.


Parasitology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
X.-J. GAO ◽  
Z.-J. ZHAO ◽  
Z.-H. HE ◽  
T. WANG ◽  
T.-B. YANG ◽  
...  

SUMMARYToxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasiteToxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections in humans. Primary infection in pregnant women can be transmitted to the fetus leading to miscarriage or congenital toxoplasmosis. Carefully designed nationwide seroprevalence surveys and case-control studies of risk factors conducted primarily in Europe and America, have shaped our view of the global status of maternal and congenital infection, directing approaches to disease prevention. However, despite encompassing 1 in 5 of the world's population, information is limited on the status of toxoplasmosis in China, partly due to the linguistic inaccessibility of the Chinese literature to the global scientific community. By selection and analysis of studies and data, reported within the last 2 decades in China, this review summarizes and renders accessible a large body of Chinese and other literature and aims to estimate the seroprevalence in Chinese pregnant women. It also reviews the prevalence trends, risk factors, and clinical manifestations. The key findings are (1) the majority of studies show that the overall seroprevalence in Chinese pregnant women is less than 10%, considerably lower than a recently published global analysis; and (2) the few available appropriate studies on maternal acute infection suggested an incidence of 0·3% which is broadly comparable to studies from other countries.


Pathogens ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Wallon ◽  
François Peyron

Maternal infection by Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy may have serious consequences for the fetus, ranging from miscarriage, central nervous system involvement, retinochoroiditis, or subclinical infection at birth with a risk of late onset of ocular diseases. As infection in pregnant women is usually symptomless, the diagnosis relies only on serological tests. Some countries like France and Austria have organized a regular serological testing of pregnant women, some others have no prenatal program of surveillance. Reasons for these discrepant attitudes are many and debatable. Among them are the efficacy of antenatal treatment and cost-effectiveness of such a program. A significant body of data demonstrated that rapid onset of treatment after maternal infection reduces the risk and severity of fetal infection. Recent cost-effectiveness studies support regular screening. This lack of consensus put both pregnant women and care providers in a difficult situation. Another reason why congenital toxoplasmosis is disregarded in some countries is the lack of precise information about its impact on the population. Precise estimations on the burden of the disease can be achieved by systematic screening that will avoid bias or underreporting of cases and provide a clear view of its outcome.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Meroni ◽  
Francesca Genco

AIMS: To describe the experience of the Toxoplasmosis Laboratory of Infectious Disease Department University of Pavia, IRCCS Foundation, San Matteo Polyclinic Pavia, a reference laboratory for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, in the investigation of pregnant women with suspected acute toxoplasmosis. METHODS: All sera were tested with LIAISON® Toxo IgM and IgG II, Toxo IgG Avidity II kits (DiaSorin, Saluggia, Italy), VIDAS Toxo IgG II and Toxo IgG Avidity (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France ), IgM ISAGA (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France) and ETI-TOXOK-A reverse PLUS (DiaSorin, Saluggia, Italy). When required (IgG negative/IgM positive women), IgG/IgM Western Blot II (LDBio, Lyon, France) was also performed. Prenatal diagnosis on amniotic fluid was done by nested PCR. All newborns were followed up to one year of age in order to exclude or confirm the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. All pregnant women with acute or undetermined stages of infection were treated. RESULTS: In the course of 2007, 236 women with suspected acute (IgM-positive) Toxoplasma infection were followed up. In the reference laboratory, 91 women had test results indicating acute toxoplasmosis, and 10 had undetermined status of infection. These 101 patients represented 42.8% of the 236 women referred. Acute toxoplasmosis could be excluded in the remaining 135 patients, of whom 53 were non-immune. Three infected newborns were observed, all from mothers tested for the first time during the third trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The role of a reference laboratory in suspected toxoplasmosis acquired during pregnancy is crucial to date the infection and discriminate between seroconversion and false positive anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. This avoids unnecessary anxiety in immune women, provides correct counseling about primary prevention and periodic testing for seronegative ones, and allows early treatment and follow-up of pregnant women with acute infection and their newborns.


1944 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Maier ◽  
L. T. Coggeshall

Rhesus monkeys with experimental Plasmodium knowlesi infections of varying duration were treated with sodium sulfathiazole to sterilize the infection and after differing lengths of time were reinoculated intraperitoneally with homologous strains of the plasmodium, for the purpose of determining whether there is any acquired immunity to malaria in hosts from whom all parasites have been removed. Two monkeys, one receiving sulfathiazole on the 2nd day of acute infection and the other on the 4th day, had no immunity at the time of reinoculation, 3 weeks and 10 weeks later, respectively. Both developed infections which followed the course usual in an acute attack in a normal monkey. In monkeys which survived acute infection with the aid of immune serum or quinine and in which a naturally acquired immunity had developed to the point where the acute infection was converted into a chronic one, there was an undoubted persistence of partial immunity up to about a year after sterilization of the infection with sulfathiazole, as indicated by recovery of reinoculated animals after mild or moderately severe infections differing widely in characteristics from the infection in the normal monkey. The end point at which immunity disappears seems to be independent of the length of the chronic infection.


2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 489-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chemla ◽  
I. Villena ◽  
D. Aubert ◽  
P. Hornoy ◽  
D. Dupouy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We describe two unusual cases of congenital toxoplasmosis, one occurring after preconception maternal infection with cervical adenopathies and the other occurring after maternal infection at the very end of pregnancy with maternal seronegativity at delivery. These documented cases of congenital toxoplasmosis demonstrate the value of extending the serologic monitoring period during pregnancy, according to the individual clinical context.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 274-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marissa Martinez Hampton

AbstractAcute infection of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is detrimental to the developing fetus. In the United States, approximately 1 in 10,000 live births are affected by congenital toxoplasmosis. Although multifactorial in etiology, maternal infection is primarily attributed to the consumption of contaminated meat or water. Infection and transmission to the fetus may result in devastating neurologic impairment. Screening methods for all pregnant women should be implemented in routine prenatal care. This article will highlight the inherent dangers of congenital toxoplasmosis, while including general care of the fetus for prevention of transmission, medical management, and long-term outcomes.


Author(s):  
Kristel Van Calsteren

Pregnant women diagnosed with chronic infections are a worldwide problem. In developed countries, the most frequently encountered are hepatitis B and C, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, herpes simplex, and Cytomegalovirus infections. In developing countries, human immunodeficiency virus and malaria are also seen commonly in pregnant women. Maternal infections are associated with various complications in pregnant women, but also with congenital infections with or without structural anomalies and long-term sequelae, fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery, and perinatal mortality. Moreover, increasing evidence suggests that maternal infection during pregnancy affects the developing immune system of the fetus independently of the vertical transmission of pathogens. This chapter discusses the pathogen characteristics, ways of transmission, clinical presentation, diagnostic options, treatment, and, if relevant, prophylaxis for the most common infections in pregnant women (excluding hepatitis which is discussed elsewhere).


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-139
Author(s):  
Ahmed J. Ahmed ◽  
Bayar K. Zeebaree ◽  
Ramadhan A. Khanamir

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy has an adverse effect on pregnant women, fetus and neonatal. The infection is generally asymptomatic but can cause severe effect on the fetus and immunocompromised women. Control study conducted on 77 pregnant women categorized according to the risk factors influencing toxoplasmosis infection. Specific anti Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM were evaluated using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits. Among 77 pregnant women, (57.1%) women had toxoplasmosis, seropositive for latent infection with specific Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were (54.54 %), whereas acute infection immunoglobulin M (IgM) were only in (2.59 %) cases. The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma was higher in older pregnant women (> 60%) than younger ones (<50%). The specific IgG antibody was higher in pregnant women working in farms (65.7 vs 45.23; P=0.053). Also, the seropositive IgG antibody was low in the first trimester and high in rural areas. Pregnant women need to educate more about toxoplasmosis and prevention to exposure in order to reduce the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis.


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