TORCH Profile: A Convenient Method for Screening Infection in Pregnancy by ELISA: A Review

Abstract

TORCH is a medical acronym for a set of perinatal infections: toxoplasmosis, other (syphilis), rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, 2). They are a group of viral, bacterial and protozoan infections that gain access to the fetal bloodstream transplacentally via the chorionic villi or hematogenous transmission any time during gestation or occasionally at the time of delivery via maternal-to-fetal transfusion. TORCH infections may result in abortion, still birth, premature birth, growth problems, neurological or brain abnormalities, motor problems, cognitive problems, organ damage or chronic illness. Among the different direct and indirect methods available for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against each test of TORCH panel, indirect ELISA is one of the most convenient methods. Positive IgG is indicative of previous infection or immunization whereas positive IgM is indicative of active or recent infection. Negative results indicate no detectable level of antibodies and equivocal result may occur during acute infection or due to nonspecific binding reaction. From the results of different studies on TORCH, it is concluded that all antenatal cases with bad obstetrics history should be routinely screened for TORCH for early diagnosis as appropriate intervention at early stages can help in proper management of probable complications.
Keywords: TORCH, ELISA, IgG, IgM