Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma-IgA and its Relation to Serum IL-4 Level Among Pregnant Women.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is one of the most common parasitic infections in humans and is most typically asymptomatic. However infection in a pregnant woman can cause severe and disabling disease in the developing fetus. The presented study aimed to determination the correlation of Toxo-IgA seroprevalence among pregnant women to various Toxoplasma antigens with the serum IL-4 level. From the June 2017 to January 2018, 300 pregnant women enrolled in this study attended to hospitals, primary health care centers and some private medical laboratories in Kirkuk. The pregnant women were examined for Toxo-IgA and determine their specificity for various Toxoplasma antigens by using line immune assay and the serum IL-4 evaluated by using ELISA technique. The rates of Toxo-IgA seropositive were 22 (7.33 %). Considering the reactivity of determined Toxo-IgA against various Toxoplasma antigens; the rates were 12(54.54%), 13(59.09%), 11(50.00%), 14(63.63%), 17(77.27%), 13(59.09%), 11(50.00%) and 18(81.81%) seropositive for Toxoplasma ROP1C, MIC3, GRA7, GRA8, p30, MAG1, GRA1 and rSAG1 antigens respectively. Regarding to the total serum IL-4 level, the highest rate of decreased serum IL-4 level among Toxo-IgA seropositive was 59.09%.In the presented study we concluded the highest rates of decreased serum IL-4 levels was 54.55% seen within Toxo-IgA seropositive for GRA7 and GRA1 antigens , and the rates of increased serum IL-4 level ranged from 5.88% to 9.09% within all seropositive groups to various Toxoplasma antigens.