Pro-inflammatory cytokines profiles in Nigerian pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Objective: To investigate the pro-inflammatory cytokines profiles in in Nigerian pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria. Methods: Peripheral, and placental blood samples were collected from 96 consenting volunteers comprising 76 P. falciparium infected pregnant women and 20 healthy uninfected pregnant women in Ekpoma, Nigeria, and subjected to ELISA for cytokines evaluation. Results: Increased serum concentrations of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was observed in infected pregnant women than their uninfected counterparts [(31.2 +/- 20.9) pg/mL. vs (1.8 +/- 0.9) pg/mL] and these differences were statistically significant (chi(2) = 26.18, P<0.05). The depressed levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) seen in peripheral blood of the infected pregnant women than the uninfected women [(13.9 +/- 3.6) pg/mL vs (28.4 +/- 5.28) pg/mL] respectively was not statistically significant (chi(2) = 4.96, P>0.05). The interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly elevated in infected pregnant women (81.0 +/- 26.1 pg/mL) than in the uninfected pregnant women [(25.0 +/- 5.0) pg/mL] (chi(2) = 29.58, P<0.05). In all, mean cytokines concentration of IL-6, IL-12 and IFN-gamma in the placental blood from infected pregnant women were (53.5 +/- 23.4) pg/mL, (8.7 +/- 6.9) pg/mL and (16.4 +/- 4.0) pg/mL, respectively. The multigravidae had a higher haemoglobin level of 10.2 g/dL and birth weight of 3 000 g than the primigrivadae with lower haemoglobin level of 7.5 g/dL, and birth weight of 2 430 g. Conclusions: The elevated IFN-gamma among the malarous pregnant women implicates it as the major cytokine mediator in the host responses to systematic P. falciparum malaria in our locality.