TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR ASSOCIATED IMMUNOMODULATORY CHANGES IN STAPHYLOCOCCAL URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN
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Objective: Urinary tract infection is the most common type of bacterial infection during pregnancy, and not treating it leads to serious complications for the mother and fetus. Then, the percentage of pathogenic causes of urinary tract infections was investigated according to the stage of pregnancy, age and miscarriage. The immune protein Toll-like receptors 4 (TLRs-4) level was also measured in the sera of infected and healthy pregnant women using ELISA technology. Method: The current study included collecting 110 urine and blood samples, 88 samples from pregnant women with urinary tract infections and 22 samples from healthy pregnant women as control samples who visited the Maternity, Gynecology and Children's Hospital in Kirkuk, Iraq during the period from 6/1/2024 to 1/1/2025 with ages ranging from 18–50 years. Results: The results showed that the highest incidence of urinary tract infections was in the third trimester of pregnancy at 50% and in the age group 18–29 years at 60%, and the lowest incidence was in the first trimester of pregnancy at 17% and in the age group 40–50 years at 12%. The number of pregnant women infected with the disease who had miscarriages was higher than those who did not have miscarriages at 78% and 22%, respectively. The bacterial culture results showed that 60 urine samples gave positive growth and five types of staphylococcus. Staphylococcus aureus was prevalent at 42%, while Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus were 5% and 3%, respectively. Chloramphenicol was 100% effective, whereas Ampicillin showed 100% resistance. TLRs-4 levels were higher in infected pregnant women, especially in cases caused by Staphylococcus aureus, with no significant differences. Novelty: The study correlates trimester, age, miscarriage rate, bacterial profile, antibiotic sensitivity, and TLRs-4 levels in pregnant women with urinary tract infections within a single clinical investigation.
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