Table 1.
Serologic and DNA-based methods for immunological work up and detection of infection including Toxoplasma gondii in maternal serum and placenta. Of note, the mother was tested five times over a period of almost one year for Toxoplasma-specific antibodies. Tests performed at the Statens Serum Institut are highlighted in boldface type.
| Analysis | Date of sampling (in chronological order) | Sample material | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEROLOGIC ANALYSES | ||||
| Anti-rubella antibodies IgG | December 3, 2020 | Serum | Positive | Positive because of previous infection or immunization |
| Anti-HSV1 IgG antibodies | December 3, 2020 | Serum | Positive | |
| Anti-HSV2 IgG antibodies | December 3, 2020 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies | December 8, 2020 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies | December 8, 2020 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondiiIgM antibodies | January 26, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondiiIgG antibodies | January 26, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies | January 26, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies | January 26, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies | February 8, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies | February 8, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies | June 1, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies | June 1, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| anti-HSV IgG antibodies | June 1, 2021 | Serum | Positive | |
| anti-rubella IgG antibodies | June 1, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondiiIgM antibodies | November 29, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Anti-T. gondiiIgG antibodies | November 29, 2021 | Serum | Negative | |
| Total IgG | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 10.7 g/L [6.1–14.9 g/L] | |
| Total IgA | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 2.39 g/L [0.7–4.3 g/L] | |
| Total IgM | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 0.40 g/L [0.39–2.08 g/L] | |
| IgG-subclass group | November 29, 2021 | Serum | NA | |
| IgG1 | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 7.34 g/L [2.8–8.0 g/L] | |
| IgG2 | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 3.27 g/L [1.2–5.7 g/L] | |
| IgG3 | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 1.10 g/L [0.24–1.25 g/L] | |
| IgG4 | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 0.687 g/L [0.052–1.25 g/L] | |
| Anti-Corynebacterium diphtheriaetoxin-specific antibodies | November 29, 2021 | Serum | 1.663 | |
| Anti-Streptococcus pneumoniae-specific IgG antibodies | November 29, 2021 | Serum | Negative⁎ | |
| DNA-BASED ANALYSES | ||||
| Real-time PCR forT. gondii (Homan et al., 2000) | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Positive | |
| Real-time PCR forTreponema pallidum | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Negative | |
| Real-time PCR for HSV1, HSV2, and VZV | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Negative | |
| 18S analysis (metabarcoding) | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Positive | DNA detected with 100% identity to Apicomplexan parasites including T. gondii and Neospora caninum |
| Real-time PCR forT. gondii (B1 gene) (Slany et al., 2019) | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Positive | |
| Conventional PCR using the primers used for amplification of the 529-bp fragment | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Positive | T. gondii-specific DNA sequence obtained (GenBank accession no. OM630157) |
| Conventional PCR forNeospora caninum (McInnes et al., 2006) | March 10, 2021 | Placental biopsy | Negative |
HSV, herpes simplex virus; Ig, immunoglobulin; NA, not applicable; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; VZV, varicella zoster virus.
⁎
The woman had not been vaccinated against pneumococci. Tests highlighted in bold-face were carried out at Statens Serum Institut.