title: Induction of plasminogen activators in pregnant women with Toxoplasma gondii infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether plasminogen activators (PAs) are involved in the pathologic process of toxoplasmosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 220 pregnant women the study included 26 with a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis: six based on seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii IgM and 20 based on seropositivity for T. gondii IgG. We measured serum activities and protein levels of PAs by casein zymography and Western blotting, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum PAs were higher in healthy pregnant women than in their healthy nonpregnant counterparts. Furthermore, serum PAs were significantly higher in pregnant women infected with T. gondii than in their healthy counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAs participate in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and may be useful markers of T. gondii infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010960:Plasminogen Activators