Congenital toxoplasmosis and proposal of a new classification for the likelihood of primary maternal infection: analysis of 375 cases in Southeast Italy. (16th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vimercati, Antonella; Chincoli, Annarosa; de Gennaro, Alessandra Caterina; Calvario, Agata; Amendolara, Mariella; Del Gaudio, Giuseppe; Laforgia, Nicola; Carbonara, Sergio
• Is Part Of: Journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine. Volume 33:Number 22(2020)
• Page Start: 3746
• Page End: 3751
• Publication Date: 2020-11-16
• Subjects: Classification -- fetal diagnosis -- pregnancy -- toxoplasma gondii; Obstetrics -- Periodicals; Perinatology -- Periodicals; Infants (Newborn) -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neonatology -- Periodicals; 618.2
• DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2019.1583737
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1476-7058

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to propose a classification in order to stratify the probability of an acute Toxoplasma infection in pregnancy and to estimate the risk of vertical transmission. Study design: We evaluated the likelihood of a primary maternal infection according to the Lebech classification and to the modified-Lebech classification proposed for our group of 375 patients referred for a suspected primary maternal infection. Fetal diagnosis included the examination of amniotic fluid by PCR to detect Toxoplasma DNA as a confirmation test. Results: Differences between the old and new classification resulted statistically significant for old classes defined as probable and unlikely with a clear shift of cases from the unlikely to the probable class in the new classification. Transmission rate showed a significant ( p < .05) increase of the transmission rate in the probable class in our new classification as compared with the Lebech one. Conclusions: Results obtained in the present study suggest that the new IgG avidity-based classification herein proposed could estimate more precisely the likelihood of a primary maternal Toxoplasma infection as well as the risk of fetal infection, when compared with the historical Lebech Classification.