Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G in paired infant-and-mother sera

Abstract

Background Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is the result of vertical transmission during pregnancy that may cause pathologic effects on the newborn such as classical triad of congenital toxoplasmosis. Newborn humans are not immunologically competent and the infant must be protected by passive IgG antibodies that are selectively transported across the placenta during development. We studied the transfer of passive IgG from the mother to developing infant using blood specimen taken from the infant within one month of birth. Objective To determine the seropositivity of IgG to T. gondii in paired sera of infants and mothers. Methods sera of infants of less than one month of age and their mothers.