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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Aug 1997, 1972-1977, Vol 35, No. 8
PA Jenum, B Stray-Pedersen and AG Gundersen
The ability to discriminate between primary Toxoplasma gondii infection
acquired in early pregnancy and infection that occurred prior to pregnancy
was assessed by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to determine the avidity of
toxoplasma-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG). The results were compared to
those of the Platelia Toxo-IgM EIA and the dye test. The mean IgG avidity
of 73 serum samples collected within 20 weeks after the estimated time of
infection was 5.9%. Among 26 serum samples showing latent infection
(toxoplasma-specific IgG positive and IgM negative) and 56 IgM-positive
serum samples with a low dye test titer (<300 IU/ml), the mean avidities
were 51.3 and 57.5%, respectively. A total of 72.8% of 92 IgM-positive
serum samples with a high dye test titer (>300 IU/ml), suggesting a
recent toxoplasma infection, had an IgG avidity of >20%, indicating that
the infection started more than 20 weeks earlier. By introducing high IgG
avidity as a criterion in the first half of pregnancy to exclude the
possibility that toxoplasma infection was acquired during gestation, many
women will avoid unnecessary examinations, treatment, and anxiety.
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Improved diagnosis of primary Toxoplasma gondii infection in early pregnancy by determination of antitoxoplasma immunoglobulin G avidity
Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
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