Toxocara titres in maternal and cord blood.
Fifty-two pairs of maternal and cord blood samples were examined for evidence of Toxocara canis antibodies. All the mothers in the study delivered normal babies at term. Seventeen (33%) of the mothers had Toxocara antibody titres of 1:50 or greater. No IgM isotype anti-Toxocara antibody was detected in the cord blood samples, evidence that transplacental toxocaral infection had not occurred. In the toxocara antibody-positive group it was found that six of 17 mothers (35%) had previously miscarried compared with three of 35 (8.6%) of the toxocara-negative mothers (P = 0.044).
Taylor
M R
MR
The National Children's Hospital, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
O'Connor
P
P
Hinson
A R
AR
Smith
H V
HV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007494:Ireland; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth