Immunological and Molecular study of Toxoplasma gondii from aborted women in Diyala / Iraq

Objective: To determine the infection rate of T. gondii in aborted women, and to investigate the relationship between toxoplasmosis and some of the sociodemographic factors. Methods: The study included one hundred women divided in two groups; group 1: 58 aborted women, group 2: 42 pregnant women with previous abortion and 50 women with close ages who had no abortion or pregnancy were considered a control group. All were attend to Al-Batool Maternity Teaching Hospital in Baqubah/ Diyala province, blood samples were collected during the period from 15thAugust 2016 till 15thDecember 2017. Results: This study showed that 44(44%) were positive by ELISA (IgG &IgM) which considered as a confirmed toxoplasmosis cases, 4 (4%) of them had IgM+, 38 (38%) had IgG+, and 2(2%) had both IgM+ and IgG+, whereas the control women were 0% for all types of antibodies. The highest results of these tests were observed in 25-34 and 35-44 years age in non-pregnant and pregnant women, The present study suggest that there is a significant relationship between the pregnant women with T. gondii and the time and number of abortion. Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction test in blood of pregnant and non-pregnant women has advantages in detection of recent or active toxoplasmosis. 15/100 (15%) of aborted women were positive by RT-PCR for toxoplasmosis associated with low avidity IgG, 4 of abortive women with IgM+ were RT-PCR positive. In addition, 7 of abortive women with IgG+, 2 of abortive women with IgM+& IgG+ were RT-PCR positive. 2 cases of abortive women with IgM-& IgG- were RT-PCR positive. Conclusion: Diagnostic methods using ELISA IgG and IgM followed by an IgG-avidity assay was a step forward. As well as, the IgG avidity and RT- PCR methods in women were the best method in detection the recent and reactive infection by Toxoplasma gondii