International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Research

Authors
Ibrahima Mbaye Ndiaye, Khadim Diongue, Amy Bei, Mame Cheikh Seck, Mouhamadou Ndiaye, Aida Sadikh Badiane, Daouda Ndiaye

Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most widespread parasites in the world that infects humans and other warm-blooded animals. It causes asymptomatic toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent adults while in pregnant women, primary infection can lead to congenital toxoplasmosis in foetuses and newborns. Therefore, in pregnant women, early and accurate diagnosis of toxoplasmosis can be crucial for the prevention and control of the disease. Routinely, immune status against T. gondii is achieved by identifying the parasite-specific antibodies in the serum with serological techniques such as Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Another factor of the T. gondii infection severity in humans is the strain virulence of the parasite. Three genetically different types (strain) are described (type I, type II and type III) basing on the genetic analysis of the polymorphic surface antigen 2 locus (SAG2) by PCR-RFLP. Identification of the genetic type helps to better understand the disease and the possibly to find the appropriate treatment. Hence the aim of this study was to determine the lineage types of T. gondii in pregnant women diagnosed with positive serology against T. gondii in Senegal. From January to December 2016, 104 pregnant women attending the Parasitology-Mycology laboratory of Le Dantec University Hospital, Dakar were enrolled. Among them, 48 (46.2%) were found with IgG antibodies. B1 gene-PCR realized on these latter revealed 20 positive cases (41.7%), confirmed by 5′-3′ SAG2 gene-PCR. Enzymatic digestion of positive samples successively with the HhaI and the Sau3AI enzymes revealed 85% of type III and 15% of type I. In definitive, this study, first among pregnant women in Senegal showed that type III of T. gondii was predominant and none of the samples was type II.