Ibrahim A. Naqid; Shivan H. Yousif; Nawfal R. Hussein
Abstract
Background: In pregnant women, primary infection with rubella and herpes virus may lead to serious complications, including abortion, stillbirth, and severe birth defect. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of rubella and herpes IgG and IgM antibodies in pregnant women. ...
Read More
Background: In pregnant women, primary infection with rubella and herpes virus may lead to serious complications, including abortion, stillbirth, and severe birth defect. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of rubella and herpes IgG and IgM antibodies in pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zakho city, Kurdistan, Iraq. A total of 200 women aged 18-45 years with a history of miscarriage and stillbirth were recruited. Samples were collected from Private Clinical Health Centre at Zakho City between January 2015 and December 2018. All samples were then tested by Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) (VIDAS instrument) for detection of rubella and herpes specific IgG and IgM classes of antibodies. Results: Of the total study participants, 166 (83%) were seropositive for anti-rubella IgG antibodies while nine (4.5%) were positive for anti-rubella IgM antibodies. In addition, seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies to Herpes simplex virus was observed in 154 (77%) and 10 (5%) subjects, respectively. As far as age is concerned, the highest seropositivity of specific IgG and IgM antibodies to Rubella and Herpes was found in participants younger than 30 years, but statistically not significant differences were found. Conclusion: This study provided pilot data on Rubella and Herpes virus infections among women in Zakho city, Kurdistan, Iraq. Data from the present study showed a high anti-Rubella and Herpes IgG and a low IgM positivity in the recruited subjects. Screening women with miscarriage or stillbirth might be conducive to specifying the causes of abortion or stillbirth.
Ibrahim Abdulqader Naqid; Shivan Hassan Yousif; Nawfal Rasheed Hussein
Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause a range of diseases in pregnant women and may lead to adverse fetal outcomes. Therefore, the detection of these infections is necessary during pregnancy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma ...
Read More
Background: Toxoplasma gondii and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause a range of diseases in pregnant women and may lead to adverse fetal outcomes. Therefore, the detection of these infections is necessary during pregnancy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma and Cytomegalovirus infections among the pregnant women with history of abortion in Zakho city, Iraq. Methods: Over a period of five years (2014-2018), blood samples were collected from 500 subjects aged 16-45 years old and tested to identify the presence of specific IgG and IgM to Toxoplasma and CMV infections by Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) method. Results: Of 500 pregnant women, 145 (29%) and 7 (1.8%) were seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM, respectively. IgG seropositivityto T. gondii infection varied significantly between age groups (P=0.05). Additionally, the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies for CMV was 475 (95%) and 9 (1.8%), respectively. Estimation of age specific subgroups showed high CMV IgG seropositivity rates for all age groups with no significant difference between them. Altogether, 145 cases were verified seropositive for specific IgG antibody against both pathogens and only 2 cases were positive for specific IgM against both agents. Conclusion: Anti-Toxoplasma and CMV IgG and IgM antibodies positivity rates among pregnant women determined in the present study are quite similar as compared to other studies reported in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Though, infection with those pathogens is not a major cause of abortion; it is useful to screen women with recurrent abortion for such infections in order to avoid undesirable fetal outcomes and other serious complications.
