Toxoplasma gondii antibody profile in HIV-infected pregnant women and the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women and to determine the association between serological profile and the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis. The study, conducted in a public maternity ward from May 2002 to April 2005, included all HIV-infected women who delivered live infants during the 36 months, and, as a control group, all HIV-negative women that delivered live infants in the first 12 months of the study. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 1,624 of 2,421 HIV-negative women (67%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 65-69%) and in 121 of 168 HIV-infected patients (72%; 95% CI 65-79%). A total of 547 HIV-negative and 103 HIV-infected patients were tested at delivery and had positive T. gondii-specific IgG. In HIV-negative women, the median of the specific IgG concentration was 79 (interquartile range 38-160), and in HIV-infected patients, it was 283 (interquartile range 94-704) (P < 0.001). In the group of co-infected women, the only infant with congenital toxoplasmosis was born to a mother with acute toxoplasmosis infection acquired during pregnancy who did not have a high specific IgG concentration or a positive result for specific IgM. We concluded that high T. gondii-specific IgG values were much more frequent among HIV-infected pregnant women, but it did not translate into an increased risk of maternal-fetal transmission of toxoplasmosis.

• Authors: E G Lago, G S Conrado, C S Piccoli, R L Carvalho, A L Bender
• Journal: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology (Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis) Vol. 28 Issue 4 Pg. 345-51 (Apr 2009) ISSN: 1435-4373 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 18855029 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Protozoan
• Immunoglobulin G
• Immunoglobulin M

Topics

• AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections (epidemiology, immunology)
• Animals
• Antibodies, Protozoan (blood)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (blood)
• Immunoglobulin M (blood)
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic (epidemiology, immunology)
• Risk Factors
• Toxoplasma (immunology)
• Toxoplasmosis (epidemiology, immunology)
• Toxoplasmosis, Congenital (epidemiology, immunology)