Toxoplasma gondii antibody in pregnant women with and without HIV infection

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1998 Jun;29(2):383-6.

Abstract

One thousand two hundred pregnant women were examined for Toxoplasma gondii antibody with the objective of identifying the prevalence and risk factors of the disease. By using Sabin-Feldman Dye test, the prevalence of IgG to Toxoplasma gondii was 13.2%. In this study 19 cases (1.6%) were anti-HIV seropositive. Between HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative pregnant women, antibody rates to T. gondii were 21.1% and 13.1% respectively, however, the statistical comparison could not be done due to the very few subjects in the former group (n=4). Concerning the risk factors, among those who had no cat in their house, the prevalence of T. gondii antibody were significantly different between under-cooked and properly-cooked meat consumers (19.5%; and 9.6%; odds ratio=2.28, 95% confidence interval). And when under-cooked meat consumers were excluded, the antibody to T. gondii between two groups (having and not-having cat in the house) were also found the significantly different (31.8% and 19.3%; odd ratio=1.96, 95% confidence interval). In conclusion, consuming under-cooked meat and having a cat in the house, both are risk factors of transmission of toxoplasmosis. Further study with more subjects in HIV-infected pregnant women who had antibody to T. gondii, will be helpful for confirmation of the difference with respect to the non HIV-infected group.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood*
  • Cats
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • Humans
  • Meat
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / immunology*
  • Prevalence
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Toxoplasma / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis / epidemiology
  • Toxoplasmosis / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan