Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne intracellular bacterium which possesses many virulence factors that enable it to overcome the host immune system and of particular importance are surface proteins InlA and InlB which have a crucial role in initiating infection. The aim of this study is to detect the incidence of L. monocytogenes infection in placental tissue from women with spontaneous abortions by targeting InlB genes-based polymerase chain reaction. Methods: In one hundred and eleven pregnant women suffering from spontaneous abortions, about 25 grams of the placental tissue from each person was homogenized and centrifuged for about 15 min at 5000 rpm at 2-8°C. A specific set of primers was used for detection of L. monocytogenes InlB gene using conventional PCR technique. Results: Out of 111 placental tissue harvested from women with abortions, only 11 (9.9%) were proven to be positive for InlB gene. The highest rate of positivity (18.9%) was observed in the age group 20-29 years old. Of the 11 cases reported to be positive for listeriosis, 8 (72.7%) cases had their abortions in the first trimester. Conclusion Listeria monocytogenes may have a noteworthy role in pregnancy loss and should be considered when there are spontaneous abortions.
Listeriosis ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Abortion, Spontaneous