Article
Immunology
Andre Barateiro, Alexsander Rodrigues Carvalho Junior, Sabrina Epiphanio, Claudio Romero Farias Marinho
Summary: Malaria is a significant health burden for populations in developing countries, particularly affecting pregnant women. The inflammation caused by P. falciparum sequestration in the placenta leads to changes in the organ, disrupting local homeostasis. These events are associated with poor gestational outcomes, such as growth restriction and premature delivery. However, the molecular mechanisms governing these outcomes are still poorly understood.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Paul Bangirana, Andrea L. Conroy, Robert O. Opoka, Margaret Semrud-Clikeman, Jeong H. Jang, Claire Apayi, Abel Kakuru, Mary K. Muhindo, Michael K. Georgieff, Grant M. Dorsey, Moses R. Kamya, Diane Havlir, Chandy C. John
Summary: Malaria in pregnancy and early childhood was associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, but more effective maternal and child malaria chemoprevention regimens did not result in better neurodevelopmental outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Veronica Feijoli Santiago, Jamille Gregorio Dombrowski, Rebeca Kawahara, Livia Rosa-Fernandes, Simon Ngao Mule, Oscar Murillo, Thais Viggiani Santana, Joao Victor Paccini Coutinho, Janaina Macedo-da-Silva, Lucas Cardoso Lazari, Erika Paula Machado Peixoto, Marcel Ivan Ramirez, Martin R. Larsen, Claudio Romero Farias Marinho, Giuseppe Palmisano
Summary: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is a significant issue in malaria-endemic areas, leading to adverse effects for both mother and fetus. This study identified the proteome signature of a mouse model and pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. The results showed the activation of the complement system during malaria in pregnancy, which was correlated with poor newborn outcomes.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ling Ai, Jingyuan Li, Wenjun Wang, Yuying Li
Summary: The association between ABO blood group and malaria risk during pregnancy is examined through a meta-analysis. The study finds that blood group B is a risk factor for malaria in multiparae, while blood group O is protective.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Howard Hong, Usman Aslam-Mir, Richard Kajubi, Erika Wallender, Norah Mwebaza, Grant Dorsey, Philip J. Rosenthal, Francesca T. Aweeka, Liusheng Huang
Summary: Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) is highly effective for malaria chemoprevention during pregnancy, but the standard dosing may not be optimal. The protein binding of piperaquine (PQ) is significantly reduced in the context of pregnancy or efavirenz (EFV)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART). Pregnancy and EFV use can impact the unbound PQ exposure and efficacy for malaria prevention.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
D. Herbert Opi, Michelle J. Boyle, Alistair R. D. McLean, Linda Reiling, Jo-Anne Chan, Danielle Stanisic, Alice Ura, Ivo Mueller, Freya J. Fowkes, Stephen J. Rogerson, James G. Beeson
Summary: The study identified pregnant women who developed antibodies that effectively promoted complement fixation on placental-binding pRBCs, associated with protection against MiP. These complement-fixing antibodies primarily targeted a specific variant of PfEMP1 called VAR2CSA, and complement enhanced the ability of antibodies to inhibit pRBC binding to CSA for increased protection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erick Jacob Okek, Moses Ocan, Sande James Obondo, Anthony Kiyimba, Emmanuel Arinaitwe, Joaniter Nankabirwa, Isaac Ssewanyana, Moses Robert Kamya
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effect of in-utero transfer of malaria specific IgG on immune protection against malaria in the first birth year. The results showed that IPTp and placental malaria had no impact on the transfer of malaria specific IgG, while poverty and malaria infections during pregnancy were significant risk factors for malaria infections in the first year of children's growth.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yusmaris Cariaco, Andrea Tatiana Duran-Rodriguez, Marcos Paulo Oliveira Almeida, Neide Maria Silva
Summary: CCR5 is upregulated in placentas of women with malaria and its expression contributes to adverse outcomes in pregnancy. In this study, we investigated the role of CCR5 in pregnancy-associated malaria complications by infecting pregnant C57BL/6 and CCR5-/- mice with Plasmodium berghei NK65. Results showed that CCR5 deficiency led to increased maternal parasitemia, reduced fetal weight, and placental inefficiency. Infected CCR5-/- mice also had lower levels of inflammatory markers and structural differences in the placenta compared to C57BL/6 mice.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Adam S. Kirosingh, Alea Delmastro, Abel Kakuru, Kattria van der Ploeg, Sanchita Bhattacharya, Kathleen D. Press, Maureen Ty, Lauren de la Parte, Jimmy Kizza, Mary Muhindo, Sebastien Devachanne, Benoit Gamain, Felistas Nankya, Kenneth Musinguzi, Philip J. Rosenthal, Margaret E. Feeney, Moses Kamya, Grant Dorsey, Prasanna Jagannathan
Summary: This study compared the cellular immune response between primigravid and multigravid women living in a malaria-endemic region. It found that primigravid women had a higher proportion of malaria-specific, non-naive CD4(+) T cells, which was associated with increased risks of parasitaemia during pregnancy and placental malaria.
Article
Immunology
Aline Uwimana, Reena Sethi, Monique Murindahabi, Celestin Ntirandeka, Emily Piercefield, Noella Umulisa, Andrew Abram, Erin Eckert, Kaendi Munguti, David Sullivan, Didier Uyizeye, Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, Julie R. Gutman
Summary: We conducted a cluster randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent screening and treatment for malaria during pregnancy. The results showed that this intervention did not improve maternal or infant outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Yusmaris Cariaco, Marcos Paulo Oliveira Almeida, Ester Cristina Borges Araujo, Marisol Patricia Pallete Briceno, Andrea Tatiana Duran-Rodriguez, Rodrigo Rodrigues Franco, Foued Salmen Espindola, Neide Maria Silva
Summary: The enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has cytoprotective effects, but in certain inflammatory conditions it can induce cell death. Our study found that the expression of HO-1 in gestational malaria must be finely tuned to avoid the deleterious effect of increased enzyme activity on early pregnancy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Elizabeth H. Aitken, Stephen J. Rogerson
Summary: Research has shown that antibodies targeting the protein responsible for placental malaria can recognize multiple variants of the protein, providing important guidance for the development of new vaccines to protect pregnant women from malaria.
Article
Immunology
Sequoia Leuba, Daniel Westreich, Carl L. Bose, Kimberly A. Powers, Andy Olshan, Steve M. Taylor, Antoinette Tshefu, Adrien Lokangaka, Waldemar A. Carlo, Elwyn Chomba, Edward A. Liechty, Sherri L. Bucher, Fabian Esamai, Saleem Jessani, Sarah Saleem, Robert L. Goldenberg, Janet Moore, Tracy Nolen, Jennifer Hemingway-Foday, Elizabeth M. McClure, Marion Koso-Thomas, Richard J. Derman, Matthew Hoffman, Melissa Bauserman
Summary: The prevalence of first-trimester malaria varies by study site in sub-Saharan Africa, and no consistent predictors have been identified, suggesting that routine parasite screening in early pregnancy may be needed to mitigate first-trimester malaria.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Neta Simon, Jaclyn Shallat, John Houck, Prasanna Jagannathan, Mary Prahl, Mary K. Muhindo, Abel Kakuru, Peter Olwoch, Margaret E. Feeney, Whitney E. Harrington
Summary: This study found that maternal peripheral Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia during early pregnancy is associated with increased detection of cord blood maternal microchimerism, but the first parasitemia episode in the infant is not associated with increased maternal microchimerism in cord blood.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Madhusmita Bal, Jyoti Ghosal, Arundhuti Das, Sonali Sandeepta, Sanghmitra Pati, Ambarish Dutta, Manoranjan Ranjit
Summary: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malaria infection in pregnant women in high malaria-endemic and hard-to-reach areas of Odisha, India, and its impact on birth weight. The results showed that half of the pregnant women in high-endemic areas had sub-patent malaria infection, which had a negative impact on the birth weight of their newborns. Therefore, the prevalence of sub-patent infection is considered a public health concern.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)