Serological studies on possible causes of intra-uterine infections in Thai infants

Abstract

Serological tests for toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) and infections syphilis (TORCHES) were carried out in 49 infants showing signs of possible intrauterine infection and in 212 mothers and their newborn infants. The tests employed were ELISA for rubella and CMV infections, indirect hemagglutination for HVH infection and toxoplasmosis and RPR Macro-vue card test for syphilis. The immunoglobulin class of the antibody was also determined, and only infants with IgM antibody were considered indicative of intrauterine infection. It was found that 36.7% and 10.2% of infants with signs of intrauterine infections were positive for rubella and CMV antibodies and 19% had mixed infections of rubella, CMV, toxoplasma, syphilis and HVH. In contrast, only 6.1% of normal newborn infants had rubella antibody, 6% had HVH antibody and less than 1% had toxoplasma antibody, and none of them had CMV and treponema antibodies. Higher rates of seropositivities were found in their mothers; the percentage seropositivities for rubella, HVH, CMV infections, syphilis and toxoplasmosis were 19%, 12%, 2% and 1%, respectively.