reproductive failure

Toxoplasmosis is an important parasitic disease worldwide and is related to certain psychiatric disorders and sterility. In the present study, serum samples from 882 female sterility patients and 107 pregnant-puerperant women were assayed for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies using ELISA. The overall T gondii seroprevalence was 14.8%. In the female sterility patients, 15.9% (140/882) were seropositive and, in the pregnant-puerperant women, 5.6% (6/107) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). The samples were further divided into 5 groups based on age, but no significant difference was found among the 5 groups (P > 0.05). Results of the present study argue for more attention to prevention of T. gondii infection in the female population and, in particular, women of childbearing age.