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Al-Awadi AAH, Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Mekhlafi AM. Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Institutionalized Children with Down syndrome in Sana'a city, Yemen: Implications of Low IgG Seroprevalence. Acta Parasitol. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6.
Al-Awadi, A. A. H., Abdul-Ghani, R., & Al-Mekhlafi, A. M. (2021). Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Institutionalized Children with Down syndrome in Sana'a city, Yemen: Implications of Low IgG Seroprevalence. Acta parasitologica, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6
Al-Awadi, Asmaa A H, et al. "Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Institutionalized Children with Down syndrome in Sana'a city, Yemen: Implications of Low IgG Seroprevalence." Acta parasitologica vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6
Al-Awadi AAH, Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Mekhlafi AM. Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Institutionalized Children with Down syndrome in Sana'a city, Yemen: Implications of Low IgG Seroprevalence. Acta Parasitol. 2021 Oct 08; doi: 10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6. Epub 2021 Oct 08. PMID: 34623612; PMCID: PMC8499612.
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Acta Parasitol. 2021 Oct 08; doi: 10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6. Epub 2021 Oct 08.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Institutionalized Children with Down syndrome in Sana'a city, Yemen: Implications of Low IgG Seroprevalence.

Acta parasitologica

Asmaa A H Al-Awadi, Rashad Abdul-Ghani, Abdulsalam M Al-Mekhlafi

Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Sana'a, Yemen.
  2. Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen. [email protected].
  3. Tropical Disease Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Sana'a, Yemen. [email protected].
  4. Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen.

PMID: 34623612 PMCID: PMC8499612 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00473-6

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the IgG seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii as an indicator of past exposure and immunity against infection among children with Down syndrome (DS) in Sana'a city, Yemen. This preliminary study is justified by the primary immunodeficiency of children with DS and the opportunistic nature of the parasite, considering the vague situation of anti-Toxoplasma IgG seroprevalence among children with DS because of neglecting its study on local and global scales.

METHODS: This descriptive, facility-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 107 children with DS hosted in six randomly selected rehabilitation centers for children with special needs in Sana'a city. Demographics of children and their mothers' knowledge of toxoplasmosis were collected using a pre-designed, structured questionnaire. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were measured in the sera of children using electrochemiluminescence assay.

RESULTS: Of 107 children with DS, 3 (2.8%) were seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG. Approximately two-thirds (71/106) of the mothers of children with DS were aware of toxoplasmosis. Of whom, 83.1% (59/71) were aware of its congenital complications.

CONCLUSION: The majority of children with DS in Sana'a city are seronegative for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, where the seropositivity rate is lower than 3.0%. Therefore, children with DS are non-immune and susceptible to the acquisition of primary infections during their life. Further analytical studies are recommended to determine whether the defective immune response of children with DS is associated with false seronegativity, to assess the role of their mothers' knowledge in reducing their exposure to infection if they were confirmed truly seronegative and to identify the predictors of infection among them.

© 2021. Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Keywords: Down syndrome; Immunodeficiency; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii; Yemen

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