Profiles for Some Key Cytokines and Auto-Antibodies in Latent Toxoplasmosis in Aborted Women

Toxoplasma gondii infects between 20 and 80% of the world population, with 80-90% of patients being asymptomatic. The risk of maternal transmission of the parasite to the fetus is relatively low (15-20%) during the first trimester of pregnancy, but high by the third trimester, (60%), and can result in hydrocephalus, microcephaly, and mental impairment. In this work, we investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in women who have had spontaneous abortions in Samarra city, Iraq, and evaluate their serum levels of key cytokines and auto-antibodies. The main objective is to measure correlation between toxoplasma status and cytokines, as well as with auto-antibodies, as biomarkers of autoimmune diseases. A sample of 153 women who got a spontaneous abortion in Samarra hospital or private lab in Samarra city between April 2021 and April 2022 was included in the study, 103 (67.3%) of which were found toxo-positive. General and clinical variables were collected using a questionnaire, and blood samples were taken from consenting women to measure the levels of Toxoplasma antibodies IgG, IgM, cytokines (IL4, IL6, IL10, IL17, TNF-α) and auto-antibodies (anticardiolipin, aCL; antiphospholipid, aPL; anti-beta-2 glycoprotein, anti-B2GPI; antinuclear Ab, ANA; anti-thyroperoxidase, ATPO; anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase, anti-GAD; and anti-sperm, ASA). Our results show that the 3 interleukins IL4, IL6, and IL10 as well as ASA, ATPO, and aCL were significantly higher in toxo-positive aborted women compared to toxo-negative ones, whereas IL17 and aCL were higher in toxo-seronegative aborted women.