Investigation on the seroprevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in women with spontaneous abortion

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of serious infection such as meningoencephalitis and septicaemia with about 25 % mortality rate. The frequency is as high as 50 % in neonates. Although Listeriosis is known increasingly as a serious threat for health, there is little study in some countries, especially Asian countries. Conventional methods for detection of L. monocytogenes are laborious and time-consuming. Tests that are based on indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) method are easy and fast. This study was carried out on 120 pregnant women aged between 14 and 45 years old (mean age of 27.6) suffering from abortion and 60 healthy pregnant women with the same mean age referred to Razi and Imam Khomeini hospitals for abortion in Ahvaz, Iran. In this study, blood samples from every woman were drawn for determining of antibody titer against L. monocytogene by indirect immunofluorescence method. The results of serologic study showed that 25 cases of the case group and four cases of the control group had an antibody titer of 1:160 against this microorganism. In the case group of 25 patients who had antibody titer 1:160, only 12 patients had 1:320 titer, while of four patients in the control group, two patients had 1:320 titer (odds ratio of 3.2). Therefore, in the case group, 20.83 % had a titer of 1:160, and 10 % had a titer of 1:320. In the control group, the rates of the above antibody titers were 6.66 and 3.33 %, respectively. In conclusion, the results investigations have shown that there is a serological respond to L. monocytogenes in the women of reproductive age. The number of positive patients was greater in women who had spontaneous abortion compared with women who never had the spontaneous abortion.