Serologic profile of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women attended at a teaching-hospital in Recife

OBJECTIVES. To determine the serologic profile of toxoplasmosis and the main factors associated with susceptibility (patients without IgM and IgG antibodies) in pregnant women attended at a teaching-hospital in Recife, Brasil. METHODS. A cross-sectional study was carried out, enrolling 503 pregnant women submitted to serology for toxoplasmosis at IMIP(Recife) from October 2004 to April 2005. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were studied by IFA, A short questionnaire was administrated to patients to provide identification, demographic and obstetrical characteristics, past history of morbidity, habits and dwelling conditions, The chi-square and Fisher-exact tests were used at a 5% level of significance. RESULTS. Immunity for toxoplasmosis was present In 74.7%, susceptibility in 22.5% and "possible" active infection in 2.8% of patients. No significant associations were observed between toxoplasmosis susceptibility and age, location, conditions of morbidity, habits, dwelling conditions and sewage system, living with animals, pregnancy and gestational age. A significant association between toxoplasmosis susceptibility and schooling was found, with a higher frequency of susceptibility among women with eight or more years of schooling. CONCLUSION. Susceptibility for toxoplasmosis was relatively low in these prenatal patients and schooling was the on identifiable predictive factor.