Prematurity and Low Birth Weight did not Correlate with Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Maternal Serum Profiles--a Brazilian Report

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 20;10(7):e0132719. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132719. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Gestational Toxoplasma gondii infection is considered a major risk factor for miscarriage, prematurity and low birth weight in animals. However, studies focusing on this topic in humans are scarce. The objective of this study is to determine whether anti-Toxoplasma gondii maternal serum profiles correlate prematurity and low birth weight in humans. The study examined 213 pregnant women seen at the High-Risk Pregnancy Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. All serological profiles (IgM-/IgG+; IgM-/IgG-; IgM+/IgG+) were determined by ELISA commercial kits. Maternal age, gestational age and weight of the newborn at birth were collected and recorded in the Statement of Live Birth. Prematurity was defined as gestational age <37 weeks and low birth weight ≤ 2499 grams. The t-test was used to compare values (p < 0.05). The mean maternal age was 27.6±6.6 years. Overall, 56.3% (120/213) of the women studied were IgM-/IgG+, 36.2% (77/213) were IgM-/IgG- and 7.5% (16/213) were IgM+/IgG+. The average age of the women with serological profile IgM+/IgG+ (22.3±3.9 years) was different from women with the profile IgM-/IgG+ (27.9±6.7 years, p = 0.0011) and IgM-/IgG- (27.9±6.4 years, p = 0.0012). There was no statistically significant difference between the different serological profiles in relation to prematurity (p = 0.6742) and low birth weight (p = 0.7186). The results showed that prematurity and low birth weight did not correlate with anti-Toxoplasma gondii maternal serum profiles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous / etiology*
  • Abortion, Spontaneous / immunology
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood*
  • Brasilien
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight / immunology*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature
  • Pregnancy
  • Risk Factors
  • Toxoplasma / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis / complications*
  • Toxoplasmosis / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a Scientific Initiation Scholarship from the Brazilian Ministry of Science Technology and Inovation – PIBIC – CNPq (The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) to MMLF; a Brazilian Ministry of Education CAPES PhD Scholarship to CCBM; an Institutional Scientific Initiation Scholarship BIC FAMERP to MMLF; an Institutional Research Grant BAP-FAMERP to LCM, DCMVO, and LCJFS; and São Paulo Research Foundation FAPESP #2013/03269-0 to CCBM and FAPESP #2009/17540-2 to LCM. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.