Seroprevalence of TORCH Agents in Women with Spontaneous Miscarriage in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

Hazazi, Asmaa A.; Alhaj, Yagoub H.; Ahmed, Waled A.M.; Alharbi, Raed A.; Mahzari, Hassan J.; Albanghali, Mohammad A.; Sindi, Abdulmajeed A.; Osman, Osman B.; Almalki, Shaia S. R.

doi:10.21608/eajbsc.2023.309933

Seroprevalence of TORCH Agents in Women with Spontaneous Miscarriage in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, 65779, Saudi Arabia.

² Department of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, 65779, Saudi Arabia.

³ Laboratory of Al-Hurath General Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

⁴ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, 65779, Saudi Arabia.

⁵ Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, 65779, Saudi Arabia.

10.21608/eajbsc.2023.309933

Abstract

Background/Objective: Miscarriage is often a result of maternal infection with pathogens, including Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes Simplex Virus (TORCH). This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of TORCH agents in women with spontaneous miscarriage in Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a maternity hospital in the Jizan region. The study included 201 pregnant women who visited the hospital between 2018 and 2022. Blood samples were collected, and TORCH IgG and IgM antibodies were measured using indirect ELISA kits. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for data analysis.
Results: The majority of pregnant women fell within the 31-40 age range (49.3%) and had a graduate education level (54.2%). Among the participants, 40.3% tested positive for Toxoplasma IgG antibodies, 11.9% tested positive for Toxoplasma IgM antibodies, 24.9% tested positive for Rubella IgG antibodies, 4% tested positive for Rubella IgM antibodies, 28.9% tested positive for Cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies, and 4% tested positive for Cytomegalovirus IgM antibodies. For Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, 9% tested positive for IgG antibodies, and 0.5% tested positive for IgM antibodies. For Herpes Simplex Virus type 2, 4.2% tested positive for IgG antibodies, and 0.5% tested positive for IgM antibodies.Conclusion: The study revealed a significant seroprevalence of TORCH agents among women with spontaneous miscarriage in Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The findings highlight the importance of screening for TORCH infections during prenatal care to identify potential risks to the fetus and implement appropriate management strategies.

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