Contribution of biological methods in the neonatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis in Tunisia

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Published Feb 1, 2025
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i2.5431
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Vol. 103 No. 2 (2025): Tunis Med Feb 2025

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Rym Ben-Abdallah
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis. Medical Parasitology, Biotechnology and Biomolecules Research Laboratory (LR 16-IPT-06), Institute Pasteur of Tunis , University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Ines Bouhaoula
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis. Medical Parasitology, Biotechnology and Biomolecules Research Laboratory (LR 16-IPT-06), Institute Pasteur of Tunis , University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Olfa Souissi
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
Rania Maatoug
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
Karim Aoun
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis. Medical Parasitology, Biotechnology and Biomolecules Research Laboratory (LR 16-IPT-06), Institute Pasteur of Tunis , University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Aida Bouratbine
Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory, Institute Pasteur of Tunis. Medical Parasitology, Biotechnology and Biomolecules Research Laboratory (LR 16-IPT-06), Institute Pasteur of Tunis , University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.

Abstract

Introduction : At birth, the biological diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is essentially serological.


Aim : To report the results of biological techniques used in the neonatal diagnosis of CT.


Methods: This was a descriptive study including newborns (NB) suspected of having CT who were referred to the Parasitology-Mycology laboratory of the Institut Pasteur of Tunis over a 17-year period. Newborns whose mothers had toxoplasmic infection during pregnancy, with either a negative or unperformed antenatal diagnosis, were included. The search for IgG and IgM antibodies was conducted using ELISA and western blot techniques.


Results: Among the 224 newborns included, the first sample was taken between days 1 and 3 of life in 58% of cases. In 181 newborns from our series, the disappearance of IgG was observed at an average age of 4.8 ± 1.6 months. IgM was positive after day 10 of life in 11 cases. A comparative mother-newborn western blot was performed for 216 newborns (96.4%). The diagnosis of CT was confirmed in 43 newborns (19.2%): either based on a positive western blot in 30 cases (69.8%), the presence of IgM by ELISA after day 10 of life in 11 cases (25.6%), or the persistence of IgG after 12 months of follow-up in two cases (4.6%).


Conclusion: Our study confirms the undeniable contribution of the comparative western blot in the diagnosis of CT at birth.


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Keywords:

Toxoplasma gondii, Congenital toxoplasmosis, Newborn, Serology, western blot, Tunisia

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