Title : Female sex hormones and inflammatory cytokine in relation to occurrence of abortion in toxoplasma gondii infected females
Abstract:
Objectives: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory-intracellular protozoan with variable prevalence observed worldwide. Alexandria has high Toxoplasma prevalence among pregnant females between Egyptian governorates 59.7%. Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy has variable outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, or congenital defects. Estrogen and progesterone have profound effect on immune system during pregnancy especially in response to parasitic infection. Cytokines (gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-2) causes abortion in pregnant mice and production of nitric oxide, which kill intracellular Toxoplasma. We aimed to study the relation of female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and IL12 and IFN-γ with the occurrence of abortion in Toxoplasma infected pregnant women.
Material and Methods: Three patients groups were studied (50 control subjects, 50 toxoplasma infected pregnant females and 50 aborted toxoplasma infected females.
Results: IgM +ve infection was higher in the aborted group (50%), while IgG +ve infection was higher in pregnant infected group (72%) with statistically significant difference in sero-positivity of T.gondii (p=?0.001). Estrogen level in the aborted group was 547.5 ng/ml less by three times than pregnant infected and also less than control group while progesterone were approximately equal levels in pregnant infected and aborted group and equal in the aborted and control group with no statistical significance difference. IFN-γ was significantly higher in the aborted than the pregnant infected group(p=0.006*) and IL-12 was significantly higher in the aborted than control group (p=0.018*). In the pregnant infected group IL-12 was negatively correlated with Progesterone (rs= -0.769, p= 0.009) while IFNγ was positively correlated with Estrogen and Progesterone (rs=0.972, p=0.001)( (rs=0.351, p=0.036) respectively, In the whole infected groups (both pregnant and aborted group), IL-12 was positively correlated with Estrogen (r=0.490, p=0.028).
Conclusion: Estrogen and progesterone may act as an immune regulator through effect on inflammatory markers with protective effect against abortion due to toxoplasma.
Audience Take Away:
- Increase their knowledge regarding the various causes of abortion.
- List the importance of eradication of toxoplasma and control of inflammatory process to decrease the occurrence of abortion.
- Expand the research base regarding the importance of female sex hormones in controlling inflammation.
- Add to the published data regarding etiology of toxoplasma and contributing factors.
