SIPMeL

Login

147 - Infectious diseases related to embryo-fetal lesions:the TORCH group infections

Autor(s): A. Antico

Issue: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 6, N. 2, 2010 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)

Page(s): 147-157

Infections caused by agents of acronym TORCH (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, etc.) don’t pose a danger to healthy persons, but become a serious clinical problem in pregnancy because they can cause harms to the fetus . Therefore an accurate and timely diagnosis is very important to permit an effective and appropriate therapeutic intervention where possible. Today modern analytical technologies can also place the onset of infection in a well-precise span of time and determine whether the disease has affected the fetus. Thus the role of the laboratory in these diseases is not merely that of giving an opinion on the immunological status of the pregnant woman; it is mainly to govern the diagnostic procedures, depending on the analytical findings of the first level tests, in order to formulate a serological diagnosis of infection, especially in cases where the disease is not clearly defined or without clinical manifestations. A clinical pathologist uses a diagnostic flowchart that runs serological testing of different levels in a logical sequence: sensibility and specificity of I level tests are used to determine a pregnant woman’s immunological state (IgG and IgM antibodies); a II level test is run to confirm and to date an infection (IgG avidity, molecular biology methods can find the ethiologic agent in the blood). When a congenital infection is suspected the diagnostic flowchart ends with the III level tests, using techniques of gene amplification to detect the presence of the infective agent in the amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood or levy chorionic villi. The presence of specific IgM antibodies against TORCH agents in the infant within a month of life confirms the diagnosis of a congenital infection. intervention where possible. Today modern analytical technologies can also place the onset of infection in a well-precise span oftime and determine whether the disease has affected the fetus......
Key-words: Pregnancy Complications, Congenital Abnormalities, Rubella virus, Toxoplasma, Cytomegalovirus, Simplexvirus.

Article in PDF format

Back to current issue