TORCH agents in pregnant Saudi women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the seroprevalence rates of IgG to common TORCH agents in pregnant Saudi women using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


METHODS
A total of 926 samples of sera were tested for antibodies to TORCH agents known to cause serious congenital infections: Toxoplasma gondii, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 and HIV-2).


RESULTS
Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were detected in 35.6%, CMV total IgG antibodies were found in 92.1%, rubella IgG antibodies in 93.3%, HSV-1 IgG antibodies in 90.9%, HSV-2 IgG in 27.1%, and VZV IgG antibodies in 74.4%. A 0% seroprevalence rate for HIV-1 and -2 was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnant Saudi women commonly have IgG antibodies to rubella, CMV, HSV-1 and -2, VZV, and T. gondii. Serological evidence of HIV infection was not observed.
Ghazi
Hani O
HO
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. hanighazi@hotmail.com
Telmesani
Abdulwahab M
AM
Mahomed
Mahomed F
MF
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology*; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G