Epidemiological Study on the Evaluation of Molecular and Immunological assay for the Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Women’s Abortion

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in humans. At its primary stages, this infection is usually asymptomatic in a pregnant woman; however, it has the potential to cause significant harm to the fetus, including miscarriage. The current study was investigated the utility of the PCR to confirm the etiology of the abortion. Therefore, a prospective study was conducted on 94 aborted women hospitalized at Al-Diwaniyah Maternity and Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Iraq. To detect toxoplasmosis, a new internal primer for the nested PCR protocol was introduced. Of the 94 aborted women, 30 samples (31.9%) were positive by the nPCR and qPCR using the G529 repeat gene and B1 gene primers, respectively. The findings indicated that three women carried the parasite in their placentas, and at the same time, they did not carry antibodies in their blood. In conclusion, women should be aware of the risk of toxoplasmosis and the importance of preventing measures. In addition, PCR should be performed in the case of abortion to enhance sensitivity even if the serological test result is negative.