The relationship between TORCH complex false positivity and obstetric outcome in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome

Objective: The presence of TORCH IgM positivity is not a specific indicator of primary infection; the assessment of IgG avidity index has been shown to be useful in identifying or excluding primary infection in pregnant women with no pre-gestational TORCH serology. TORCH is an acronym for Toxoplasmosis, Others (HBV, syphilis, Varicella–Zoster virus, Epstein Barr virus, Coxsackie virus and Parvovirus), Rubella, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Herpes Simplex. Patients and methods: Data from 54 pregnancies in women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) were assessed in comparison with data from 222 healthy pregnant women as controls. Each woman in both groups was systematically screened for TORCH IgG and IgM during pre-conceptional evaluation and/or at the beginning of pregnancy. The assessment of IgG avidity was also evaluated in order to identify primary infection or false positivity. Results: A significant increase of CMV IgM false positivity in APS in comparison with controls was detected. A worse pregnancy out...