Association of TORCH Pathogens With Spontaneous Pregnancy Loss: A Prospective Study From Pakistan

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TORCH infections (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus [CMV], and herpes simplex virus [HSV]) among pregnant women reported at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Pakistan. The study was conducted at PIMS from May 2021 to September 2022. This prospective study analyzed 8000 samples submitted to the pathology laboratory for routine testing. The ELISA method was employed to detect immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G antibodies. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 23.0). TORCH agent infections during pregnancy account for 19.82% of cases. T. gondii is responsible for 5.1% of complete abortions, 6.6% of incomplete abortions, 4.8% of missed abortions, and 2.8% of threatened abortions. Rubella is another pathogen that can lead to abortion in pregnant women, contributing to 7.8% of complete abortions, 19.7% of incomplete abortions, 5.7% of missed abortions, and 5.5% of threatened abortions. CMV and HSV are also implicated in abortion. CMV accounts for 6.2% of complete abortions, 9.1% of incomplete abortions, 4.8% of missed abortions, and 5.2% of threatened abortions. HSV plays a significant role in abortion as well, causing 4.2% of complete abortions, 7.1% of incomplete abortions, 1.5% of missed abortions, and 4.0% of threatened abortions. Data with a p value of less than 0.001 indicate strong statistical significance. The findings suggest that TORCH agents and abortion are significantly correlated, with TORCH agent infections being a major cause of abortion.

Keywords: IgG; IgM; Pakistan; TORCH agent; abortion; fetus; pregnant.