Trichinella spiralis infection and transplacental passage in human pregnancy

SARACINO M.P.; CALCAGNO M.A.; BILEN BEAUCHE E.; GARNIER A.; VILA C.C.; GRANCHETTI H.; TAUS R.; VENTURIELLO S.M.

VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016

0304-4017

Abstract: Infection by Trichinella spp. during pregnancy still arisesmany questions. Worldwide an important number of trichinellosis outbreakshave occurred over time where pregnant women were or might have beeninvolved.Parasitological and immunoserological parameters, clinical background andtransplacental passage of Trichinella spiralis of six pregnant women,from different outbreaks, were studied.Serum samples were collected from patients and their children: atpregnancy, at delivery, newborn and/or infant (≥ 1 year-old). Totalimmunoglobulins (Igs) and isotypes against excretion-secretion productsfrom muscle larvae (ESP-ML) and newborn larvae (NBL) of T. spiralis weredetected by immunoserological techniques. Sera helminthocytotoxicactivity against NBL was evaluated by antibodies dependent cellcytotoxicity assay.Patients presented similar clinical symptoms. Mother´s sera showeddifferences in the presence and titres of Igs, IgE, IgG1 and IgG4 againstNBL surface. All of them showed helminthocytotoxic activity against NBL,four in progesterone dependent manner and the other two by antibodies.Igs anti ESP-ML were present in mother´s sera, with differences in theisotypes detected. Anti-ESP-ML IgE, IgA and/or IgM in newborn sera wereobserved. Three out of four infants showed specific Igs; one even at 8years-old.The distinct immune response between mothers at pregnancy evidenced bysera helminthocytotoxic activity and immunoserological parameters may beassociated with a different parasite burden exposition. Specific Igsobserved in newborns would be a suggestion of transplacental passage ofthis Igs and/or their production by the fetus. Specific Igs found ininfants sera suggests that newborn larvae transplacental passage ispossible.