title: Indication of Risk of Mother-to-Child Toxoplasma gondii Transmission in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
abstract: Objectives Congenital infection with Toxoplasma gondii is known to result in neurological and brain disorders including ophthalmic disorders later in life. Research in Ghana revealed high sero-prevalence among pregnant women and eye patients. This study determines the risk of congenital transmission of T. gondii infection in Accra, Ghana. Methods One hundred consented pregnant women aged 18-45 years (mean 29.85 ± 5.76) participated. Venous blood and tissue samples were taken from the maternal side of each placenta after delivery. Cord blood samples were also taken after they were separated from the infants. Finger-prick blood was taken from infants of participating women at 2 or 6 weeks post-natal. ELISA was used to detect T. gondii antibodies in all blood samples while Nested-PCR was used to detect T. gondii DNA from placental tissues. Data was analysed using SPSS v. 16. Results Overall, 37.6 % of maternal blood, 39.5 % of umbilical cord blood, and 57.5 % of post-natal infant blood were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG. No anti-T. gondii IgM was detected in any of those samples. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in 39.8 % of placental tissue samples. Strong association was observed in the occurrence of placental T. gondii DNA and anti-T. gondii IgG positive women (ø = 0.810, p < 0.00001) as well as high Relative risk shown in the likelihood of foetal exposure to infection in latently-infected women (RR 10.39; CI 4.47-24.17; p < 0.00001). Conclusions for Practice The presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies only, and T. gondii DNA in placental tissues indicate the women might have been infected early during the pregnancy, placing about 39.8 % of the babies at risk. These results can strongly influence policy to screen and treat pregnant women for T. gondii infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.|Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Kofi Dadzie
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kwofie
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghansah
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joseph Harold Nyarko
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Osei
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Kwadwo Kyereme
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Frempong
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obed
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Frimpong
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Boakye
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.|Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana. iayi@noguchi.ug.edu.gh.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ayi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Congenital transmission; Foetal infection; Pregnant women; Risk; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis