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Matambisso G, Brokhattingen N, Maculuve S, Cisteró P, Mbeve H, Escoda A, Miguel J, Buetas E, de Jong I, Cuna B, Melembe C, Ndimande N, Porras G, Chen H, Tetteh KKA, Drakeley C, Gamain B, Chitnis C, Chauhan V, Quintó L, Galatas B, Macete E, Mayor A. Gravidity and malaria trends interact to modify P. falciparum densities and detectability in pregnancy: a 3-year prospective multi-site observational study. BMC Med 2022; 20:396. [PMID: 36376866 PMCID: PMC9664815 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02597-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections prevail in low transmission settings, where immunity is expected to be minimal, suggesting an immune-independent effect on parasite densities. We aimed to describe parasite densities in pregnancy, and determine how gravidity and antibody-mediated immunity affect these, during a period of declining malaria transmission in southern Mozambique. METHODS We documented P. falciparum infections at first antenatal care visits (n = 6471) between November 2016 and October 2019 in Ilha Josina (high-to-moderate transmission area), Manhiça (low transmission area), and Magude (pre-elimination area). Two-way interactions in mixed-effects regression models were used to assess gravidity-dependent differences in quantitative PCR-determined P. falciparum positivity rates (PfPRqPCR) and densities, in the relative proportion of detectable infections (pDi) with current diagnostic tests (≥ 100 parasites/μL) and in antimalarial antibodies. RESULTS PfPRqPCR declined from 28 to 13% in Ilha Josina and from 5-7 to 2% in Magude and Manhiça. In primigravidae, pDi was highest in Ilha Josina at the first study year (p = 0.048), which declined with falling PfPRqPCR (relative change/year: 0.41, 95% CI [0.08; 0.73], p = 0.029), with no differences in antibody levels. Higher parasite densities in primigravidae from Ilha Josina during the first year were accompanied by a larger reduction of maternal hemoglobin levels (- 1.60, 95% CI [- 2.49; - 0.72; p < 0.001), than in Magude (- 0.76, 95% CI [- 1.51; - 0.01]; p = 0.047) and Manhiça (- 0.44, 95% CI [- 0.99; 0.10; p = 0.112). In contrast, multigravidae during the transmission peak in Ilha Josina carried the lowest pDi (p = 0.049). As PfPRqPCR declined, geometric mean of parasite densities increased (4.63, 95% CI [1.28; 16.82], p = 0.020), and antibody levels declined among secundigravidae from Ilha Josina. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of detectable and clinically relevant infections is the highest in primigravid women from high-to-moderate transmission settings and decreases with declining malaria. In contrast, the falling malaria trends are accompanied by increased parasite densities and reduced humoral immunity among secundigravidae. Factors other than acquired immunity thus emerge as potentially important for producing less detectable infections among primigravidae during marked declines in malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glória Matambisso
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Sónia Maculuve
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Henriques Mbeve
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Anna Escoda
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judice Miguel
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Elena Buetas
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ianthe de Jong
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Boaventura Cuna
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Cardoso Melembe
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Nelo Ndimande
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Gemma Porras
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Haily Chen
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kevin K A Tetteh
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Chris Drakeley
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Benoit Gamain
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, Inserm, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Chetan Chitnis
- Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Virander Chauhan
- Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
| | - Llorenç Quintó
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Galatas
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eusébio Macete
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,National Directare of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique. .,ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. .,Department of Physiologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique.
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Mama A, Ahiabor C, Tornyigah B, Frempong NA, Kusi KA, Adu B, Courtin D, Houzé S, Deloron P, Ofori MF, Anang AK, Ariey F, Ndam NT. Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine and parasite resistance: cross-sectional surveys from antenatal care visit and delivery in rural Ghana. Malar J 2022; 21:107. [PMID: 35346205 PMCID: PMC8962208 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04124-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite decades of prevention efforts, the burden of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) remains a great public health concern. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), used as intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp-SP) is an important component of the malaria prevention strategy implemented in Africa. However, IPTp-SP is under constant threat from parasite resistance, thus requires regular evaluation to inform decision-making bodies. Methods In two malaria endemic communities in the Volta region (Adidome and Battor), a cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in pregnant women recruited at their first antenatal care (ANC) visit and at delivery. Basic clinical and demographic information were documented and their antenatal records were reviewed to confirm IPTp-SP adherence. Peripheral and placental blood were assayed for the presence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One hundred and twenty (120) positive samples were genotyped for mutations associated with SP resistance. Results At first ANC visit, P. falciparum prevalence was 28.8% in Adidome and 18.2% in Battor. At delivery, this decreased to 14.2% and 8.2%, respectively. At delivery, 66.2% of the women had taken at least the recommended 3 or more doses of IPTp-SP and there was no difference between the two communities. Taking at least 3 IPTp-SP doses was associated with an average birth weight increase of more than 360 g at both study sites compared to women who did not take treatment (p = 0.003). The Pfdhfr/Pfdhps quintuple mutant IRNI-A/FGKAA was the most prevalent (46.7%) haplotype found and the nonsynonymous Pfdhps mutation at codon A581G was higher at delivery among post-SP treatment isolates (40.6%) compared to those of first ANC (10.22%). There was also an increase in the A581G mutation in isolates from women who took 3 or more IPTp-SP. Conclusions This study confirms a positive impact following the implementation of the new IPTp-SP policy in Ghana in increasing the birth weight of newborns. However, the selection pressure exerted by the recommended 3 or more doses of IPTp-SP results in the emergence of parasites carrying the non-synonymous mutation on codon A581G. This constant selective pressure calls into question the time remaining for the clinical utility of IPTp-SP treatment during pregnancy in Africa.
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Abstract
Coinfection with Plasmodium falciparum and helminths may impact the immune response to these parasites because they induce different immune profiles. We studied the effects of coinfections on the antibody profile in a cohort of 715 Mozambican children and adults using the Luminex technology with a panel of 16 antigens from P. falciparum and 11 antigens from helminths (Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Schistosoma spp.) and measured antigen-specific IgG and total IgE responses. We compared the antibody profile between groups defined by P. falciparum and helminth previous exposure (based on serology) and/or current infection (determined by microscopy and/or qPCR). In multivariable regression models adjusted by demographic, socioeconomic, water, and sanitation variables, individuals exposed/infected with P. falciparum and helminths had significantly higher total IgE and antigen-specific IgG levels, magnitude (sum of all levels) and breadth of response to both types of parasites compared to individuals exposed/infected with only one type of parasite (P ≤ 0.05). There was a positive association between exposure/infection with P. falciparum and exposure/infection with helminths or the number of helminth species, and vice versa (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, children coexposed/coinfected tended (P = 0.062) to have higher P. falciparum parasitemia than those single exposed/infected. Our results suggest that an increase in the antibody responses in coexposed/coinfected individuals may reflect higher exposure and be due to a more permissive immune environment to infection in the host. IMPORTANCE Coinfection with Plasmodium falciparum and helminths may impact the immune response to these parasites because they induce different immune profiles. We compared the antibody profile between groups of Mozambican individuals defined by P. falciparum and helminth previous exposure and/or current infection. Our results show a significant increase in antibody responses in individuals coexposed/coinfected with P. falciparum and helminths in comparison with individuals exposed/infected with only one of these parasites, and suggest that this increase is due to a more permissive immune environment to infection in the host. Importantly, this study takes previous exposure into account, which is particularly relevant in endemic areas where continuous infections imprint and shape the immune system. Deciphering the implications of coinfections deserves attention because accounting for the real interactions that occur in nature could improve the design of integrated disease control strategies.
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Application of dried blood spot sample pooling strategies for Plasmodium 18S rRNA biomarker testing to facilitate identification of infected persons in large-scale epidemiological studies. Malar J 2021; 20:391. [PMID: 34620192 PMCID: PMC8499573 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03907-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium 18S rRNA is a sensitive biomarker for detecting Plasmodium infection in human blood. Dried blood spots (DBS) are a practical sample type for malaria field studies to collect, store, and transport large quantities of blood samples for diagnostic testing. Pooled testing is a common way to reduce reagent costs and labour. This study examined performance of the Plasmodium 18S rRNA biomarker assay for DBS, improved assay sensitivity for pooled samples, and created graphical user interface (GUI) programmes for facilitating optimal pooling. Methods DBS samples of varied parasite densities from clinical specimens, Plasmodium falciparum in vitro culture, and P. falciparum Armored RNA® were tested using the Plasmodium 18S rRNA quantitative triplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay and a simplified duplex assay. DBS sample precision, linearity, limit of detection (LoD) and stability at varied storage temperatures were evaluated. Novel GUIs were created to model two-stage hierarchy, square matrix, and three-stage hierarchy pooling strategies with samples of varying positivity rates and estimated test counts. Seventy-eight DBS samples from persons residing in endemic regions with sub-patent infections were tested in pools and deconvoluted to identify positive cases. Results Assay performance showed linearity for DBS from 4 × 107 to 5 × 102 parasites/mL with strong correlation to liquid blood samples (r2 > 0.96). There was a minor quantitative reduction in DBS rRNA copies/mL compared to liquid blood samples. Analytical sensitivity for DBS was estimated 5.3 log copies 18S rRNA/mL blood (28 estimated parasites/mL). Properly preserved DBS demonstrated minimal degradation of 18S rRNA when stored at ambient temperatures for one month. A simplified duplex qRT-PCR assay omitting the human mRNA target showed improved analytical sensitivity, 1 parasite/mL blood, and was optimized for pooling. Optimal pooling sizes varied depending on prevalence. A pilot DBS study of the two-stage hierarchy pooling scheme corroborated results previously determined by testing individual DBS. Conclusions The Plasmodium 18S rRNA biomarker assay can be applied to DBS collected in field studies. The simplified Plasmodium qRT-PCR assay and GUIs have been established to provide efficient means to test large quantities of DBS samples. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03907-8.
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Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine against malaria in infants in western Kenya: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Nat Med 2021; 27:1636-1645. [PMID: 34518679 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01470-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccine provides protection against P. falciparum infection in malaria-naïve adults. Preclinical studies show that T cell-mediated immunity is required for protection and is readily induced in humans after vaccination. However, previous malaria exposure can limit immune responses and vaccine efficacy (VE) in adults. We hypothesized that infants with less previous exposure to malaria would have improved immunity and protection. We conducted a multi-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 336 infants aged 5-12 months to determine the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and efficacy of the PfSPZ Vaccine in infants in a high-transmission malaria setting in western Kenya ( NCT02687373 ). Groups of 84 infants each received 4.5 × 105, 9.0 × 105 or 1.8 × 106 PfSPZ Vaccine or saline three times at 8-week intervals. The vaccine was well tolerated; 52 (20.6%) children in the vaccine groups and 20 (23.8%) in the placebo group experienced related solicited adverse events (AEs) within 28 d postvaccination and most were mild. There was 1 grade 3-related solicited AE in the vaccine group (0.4%) and 2 in the placebo group (2.4%). Seizures were more common in the highest-dose group (14.3%) compared to 6.0% of controls, with most being attributed to malaria. There was no significant protection against P. falciparum infection in any dose group at 6 months (VE in the 9.0 × 105 dose group = -6.5%, P = 0.598, the primary statistical end point of the study). VE against clinical malaria 3 months after the last dose in the highest-dose group was 45.8% (P = 0.027), an exploratory end point. There was a dose-dependent increase in antibody responses that correlated with VE at 6 months in the lowest- and highest-dose groups. T cell responses were undetectable across all dose groups. Detection of Vδ2+Vγ9+ T cells, which have been correlated with induction of PfSPZ Vaccine T cell immunity and protection in adults, were infrequent. These data suggest that PfSPZ Vaccine-induced T cell immunity is age-dependent and may be influenced by Vδ2+Vγ9+ T cell frequency. Since there was no significant VE at 6 months in these infants, these vaccine regimens will likely not be pursued further in this age group.
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Rakislova N, Jordao D, Ismail MR, Mayor A, Cisteró P, Marimon L, Ferrando M, Hurtado JC, Lovane L, Carrilho C, Lorenzoni C, Fernandes F, Nhampossa T, Cossa A, Mandomando I, Navarro M, Casas I, Munguambe K, Maixenchs M, Quintó L, Macete E, Martinez M, Snow RW, Bassat Q, Menéndez C, Ordi J. Accuracy of verbal autopsy, clinical data and minimally invasive autopsy in the evaluation of malaria-specific mortality: an observational study. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-005218. [PMID: 34083241 PMCID: PMC8183227 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global malaria mortality estimates are hindered by the low reliability of the verbal autopsy (VA) and the clinical records, the most common sources of information used to estimate malaria-specific mortality. We aimed to determine the accuracy of these tools, as well as of the minimally invasive autopsy (MIA), a needle-based postmortem sampling method, to identify malaria-specific mortality in a large series of deceased patients from Mozambique, using complete autopsy as the gold standard. METHODS Observational study that included 264 deaths, occurring at a tertiary level hospital in Mozambique, from 1 November 2013 to 31 March 2015 (17 months-long period). Clinical data were abstracted, a computer coded VA was completed using the clinical data as source of information, and an MIA followed by a complete autopsy were performed. Screening for malaria infection was conducted postmortem to all participants using molecular and histological techniques (PCR and immunohistochemistry). FINDINGS Malaria infection was considered the cause of death in 6/264 (2.3%) cases: 2/54 children (3.7%, both less than 5 years old) and 4/57 (7.0%) maternal deaths. The sensitivity and specificity of the VA, the clinical data and the MIA to identify malaria-specific deaths were 33.3% and 96.1%, 66.7% and 96.1%, and 100% and 100%, respectively. In addition, malaria was identified as a possible contributor in 14 additional patients who died of other diseases. These cases were also accurately identified by the MIA (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 100%). INTERPRETATION The high sensitivity and specificity of the MIA in identifying malaria may help to improve current estimates of malaria-specific mortality in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Rakislova
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pathology, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dercio Jordao
- Department of Pathology, Quelimane Central Hospital, Quelimane, Mozambique
| | - Mamudo R Ismail
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique.,Faculty of Medicine, University Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lorena Marimon
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melania Ferrando
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Hurtado
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucilia Lovane
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Carla Carrilho
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique.,Faculty of Medicine, University Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Fabiola Fernandes
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Tacilta Nhampossa
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique.,Department of Pediatrics, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Anelsio Cossa
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | | | - Mireia Navarro
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isaac Casas
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Khatia Munguambe
- Faculty of Medicine, University Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Maria Maixenchs
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Llorenç Quintó
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eusebio Macete
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Mikel Martinez
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert W Snow
- Population and Health Unit, KEMRI - Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuttfield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Clara Menéndez
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique.,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaume Ordi
- ISGLOBAL, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain .,Department of Pathology, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Gupta H, Rubio M, Sitoe A, Varo R, Cisteró P, Madrid L, Cuamba I, Jimenez A, Martiáñez-Vendrell X, Barrios D, Pantano L, Brimacombe A, Bustamante M, Bassat Q, Mayor A. Plasma MicroRNA Profiling of Plasmodium falciparum Biomass and Association with Severity of Malaria Disease. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:430-442. [PMID: 33496227 PMCID: PMC7853565 DOI: 10.3201/eid2702.191795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe malaria (SM) is a major public health problem in malaria-endemic countries. Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum–infected erythrocytes in vital organs and the associated inflammation leads to organ dysfunction. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are rapidly released from damaged tissues into the host fluids, constitute a promising biomarker for the prognosis of SM. We applied next-generation sequencing to evaluate the differential expression of miRNAs in SM and in uncomplicated malaria (UM. Six miRNAs were associated with in vitro P. falciparum cytoadhesion, severity in children, and P. falciparum biomass. Relative expression of hsa-miR-4497 quantified by TaqMan-quantitative reverse transcription PCR was higher in plasma of children with SM than those with UM (p<0.048) and again correlated with P. falciparum biomass (p = 0.033). These findings suggest that different physiopathological processes in SM and UM lead to differential expression of miRNAs and pave the way for future studies to assess their prognostic value in malaria.
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King M, George AE, Cisteró P, Tarr-Attia CK, Arregui B, Omeonga S, Chen H, Meyer García-Sípido A, Sarukhan A, Bassat Q, Lansana DP, Mayor A. No evidence of false-negative Plasmodium falciparum rapid diagnostic results in Monrovia, Liberia. Malar J 2021; 20:238. [PMID: 34039355 PMCID: PMC8157453 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03774-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria diagnosis in many malaria-endemic countries relies mainly on the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The majority of commercial RDTs used in Africa detect the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2). pfhrp2/3 gene deletions can therefore lead to false-negative RDT results. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of PCR-confirmed, false-negative P. falciparum RDT results in Monrovia, Liberia. Methods PfHRP2-based RDT (Paracheck Pf®) and microscopy results from 1038 individuals with fever or history of fever (n = 951) and pregnant women at first antenatal care (ANC) visit (n = 87) enrolled in the Saint Joseph’s Catholic Hospital (Monrovia) from March to July 2019 were used to assess the frequency of false-negative RDT results. True–false negatives were confirmed by detecting the presence of P. falciparum DNA by quantitative PCR in samples from individuals with discrepant RDT and microscopy results. Samples that were positive by 18S rRNA qPCR but negative by PfHRP2-RDT were subjected to multiplex qPCR assay for detection of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3. Results One-hundred and eighty-six (19.6%) and 200 (21.0%) of the 951 febrile participants had a P. falciparum-positive result by RDT and microscopy, respectively. Positivity rate increased with age and the reporting of joint pain, chills and shivers, vomiting and weakness, and decreased with the presence of coughs and nausea. The positivity rate at first ANC visit was 5.7% (n = 5) and 8% (n = 7) by RDT and microscopy, respectively. Out of 207 Plasmodium infections detected by microscopy, 22 (11%) were negative by RDT. qPCR confirmed absence of P. falciparum DNA in the 16 RDT-negative but microscopy-positive samples which were available for molecular testing. Among the 14 samples that were positive by qPCR but negative by RDT and microscopy, 3 only amplified pfldh, and among these 3 all were positive for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3. Conclusion There is no qPCR-confirmed evidence of false-negative RDT results due to pfhrp2/pfhrp3 deletions in this study conducted in Monrovia (Liberia). This indicates that these deletions are not expected to affect the performance of PfHRP2-based RDTs for the diagnosis of malaria in Liberia. Nevertheless, active surveillance for the emergence of PfHRP2 deletions is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandella King
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Tubman Boulevard, Oldest Congo, Town, PO Box 10512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Alexander E George
- Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority, VP Road, Old Road, Sinkor , PO Box 1994, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christine K Tarr-Attia
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Tubman Boulevard, Oldest Congo, Town, PO Box 10512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Beatriz Arregui
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Senga Omeonga
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Tubman Boulevard, Oldest Congo, Town, PO Box 10512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Haily Chen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Adelaida Sarukhan
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues,, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dawoh Peter Lansana
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Tubman Boulevard, Oldest Congo, Town, PO Box 10512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique. .,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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9
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Galatas B, Mayor A, Gupta H, Balanza N, Jang IK, Nhamussua L, Simone W, Cisteró P, Chidimatembue A, Munguambe H, Saúte F, Aide P, Bassat Q. Field performance of ultrasensitive and conventional malaria rapid diagnostic tests in southern Mozambique. Malar J 2020; 19:451. [PMID: 33287822 PMCID: PMC7720469 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03526-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background An ultrasensitive malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was recently developed for the improved detection of low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of the PfHRP2-based Abbott Malaria Ag P. falciparum ultrasensitive RDT (uRDT) to that of the conventional SD-Bioline Malaria Ag P. falciparum RDT (cRDT) when performed under field conditions. Methods Finger-prick blood samples were collected from adults and children in two cross-sectional surveys in May of 2017 in southern Mozambique. Using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) as the reference method, the age-specific diagnostic performance indicators of the cRDT and uRDT were compared. The presence of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) and Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) antigens was evaluated in a subset from dried blood spots by a quantitative antigen assay. pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions were assessed in samples positive by RT-qPCR and negative by both RDTs. Results Among the 4,396 participants with complete test results, the sensitivity of uRDTs (68.2; 95% CI 60.8 to 74.9) was marginally better than that of cRDTs (61.5; 95% CI 53.9 to 68.6) (p-value = 0.004), while the specificities were similar (uRDT: 99.0 [95% CI 98.6 to 99.2], cRDT: 99.2 [95% CI 98.9 to 99.4], p-value = 0.02). While the performance of both RDTs was lowest in ≥ 15-year-olds, driven by the higher prevalence of low parasite density infections in this group, the sensitivity of uRDTs was significantly higher in this age group (54.9, 95% CI 40.3 to 68.9) compared to the sensitivity of cRDTs (39.2, 95% CI 25.8 to 53.9) (p-value = 0.008). Both RDTs detected P. falciparum infections at similar geometric mean parasite densities (112.9 parasites/μL for uRDTs and 145.5 parasites/μL for cRDTs). The presence of HRP2 antigen was similar among false positive (FP) samples of both tests (80.5% among uRDT-FPs and 84.4% among cRDT-FPs). Only one false negative sample was detected with a partial pfhrp2 deletion. Conclusion This study showed that the uRDTs developed by Abbott do not substantially outperform SD-Bioline Pf malaria RDTs in the community and are still not comparable to molecular methods to detect P. falciparum infections in this study setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Galatas
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Himanshu Gupta
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Núria Balanza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lidia Nhamussua
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Wilson Simone
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Francisco Saúte
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.,National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Gupta H, Galatas B, Chidimatembue A, Huijben S, Cisteró P, Matambisso G, Nhamussua L, Simone W, Bassat Q, Ménard D, Ringwald P, Rabinovich NR, Alonso PL, Saúte F, Aide P, Mayor A. Effect of mass dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine administration in southern Mozambique on the carriage of molecular markers of antimalarial resistance. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240174. [PMID: 33075062 PMCID: PMC7571678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mass drug administration (MDA) can rapidly reduce the burden of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf). However, concerns remain about its contribution to select for antimalarial drug resistance. METHODS We used Sanger sequencing and real-time PCR to determine the proportion of molecular markers associated with antimalarial resistance (k13, pfpm2, pfmdr1 and pfcrt) in Pf isolates collected before (n = 99) and after (n = 112) the implementation of two monthly MDA rounds with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAp) for two consecutive years in Magude district of Southern Mozambique. RESULTS None of the k13 polymorphisms associated with artemisinin resistance were observed in the Pf isolates analyzed. The proportion of Pf isolates with multiple copies of pfpm2, an amplification associated with piperaquine resistance, was similar in pre- (4.9%) and post-MDA groups (3.4%; p = 1.000). No statistically significant differences were observed between pre- and post-MDA groups in the proportion of Pf isolates neither with mutations in pfcrt and pfmdr1 genes, nor with the carriage of pfmdr1 multiple copies (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study does not show any evidence of increased frequency of molecular makers of antimalarial resistance after MDA with DHAp in southern Mozambique where markers of antimalarial resistance were absent or low at the beginning of the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Gupta
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Galatas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | | | - Silvie Huijben
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lidia Nhamussua
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Wilson Simone
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- INSERM U1201, Paris, France
- CNRS ERL9195, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Ringwald
- World Health Organization (WHO), Global Malaria Programme, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - N. Regina Rabinovich
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pedro L. Alonso
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Francisco Saúte
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
- National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Manhica, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica, Mozambique
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Shrivastava J. Assessors assemble: the need for harmonised external quality assessment schemes for emerging diagnostic methodologies in the field of parasitology. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2020; 113:820-822. [PMID: 30576480 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/try129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Global travel and migration trends have meant a huge increase in the numbers of people exposed to tropical parasitic diseases. Thus, there is an increasing need for robust, reproducible and reliable diagnostic techniques in the field. Advanced molecular and lateral flow techniques have pushed the boundaries of clinical parasite diagnostics with their enhanced sensitivities and specificities. These emerging technologies are, however, not without their challenges, and recently there has been multiple evidence of a lack of consensus among protocols and results obtained by quality assessment of these novel technologies. This commentary discusses findings from some recent quality assessment studies in the field of blood and faecal parasitology. The article also makes recommendations for a unified and harmonised approach towards delivering high-quality clinical parasitology diagnoses, especially through the use of proficiency testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Shrivastava
- UK NEQAS Parasitology, National Infection Services, Public Health England, The Halo, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AZ, United Kingdom
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12
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Quakyi I, Tornyigah B, Houze P, Kusi KA, Coleman N, Escriou G, Laar A, Cot M, Fobil J, Asare GQ, Deloron P, Anang AK, Cottrell G, Ofori MF, Ndam NT. High uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria in pregnancy is associated with improved birth weight among pregnant women in Ghana. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19034. [PMID: 31836735 PMCID: PMC6911095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55046-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the clinically proven advantages of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), utilisation has been low in many African countries. To increase uptake and achieve the desired effect, the World Health Organization revised the policy to a monthly administration. Assessing the coverage and impact of the revised policy on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes is, therefore, a necessity. A 2-parallel cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out among pregnant women attending first antenatal care (ANC) and delivery. Maternal and cord blood samples were assayed for malaria parasites by quantitative PCR targeting both the 18S rDNA and the acidic terminal segment of Plasmodium falciparum var genes, and plasma SP levels were measured by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Parasite prevalence was similar between the two study sites but decreased significantly between the first ANC (9% or 43%) and delivery (4% or 11%) based on the qPCR target. At delivery, 64.5% of women received ≥3 IPTp-SP dose, 15.5% received 2 doses and 6% had 1 dose. Taking ≥3 IPTp-SP doses was associated with an average birth weight increase of more than 0.165 kg. IPTp-SP uptake was associated with plasma SP level at delivery (OR = 32.3, p ≤ 0.005, 95% CI (13.3;78.4) for those that reported ≥3 IPTp-SP doses) while the same trend of improved birth weight was observed with high plasma SP levels. The new IPTp policy is well implemented and well utilised by women in the sites considered in this study and translates to the improved birth weight observed. This study confirms the interest and the clinical benefit expected from this policy change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Quakyi
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, F-75006, Paris, France.,Department of Biological Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Bernard Tornyigah
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, F-75006, Paris, France.,Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, Legon, Ghana
| | - Pascal Houze
- Service de biochimie générale, Hôpital universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75015, Paris, France.,Unité de Technologies Biologiques et Chimiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), Paris 5-CNRS UMR8258 Inserm U1022, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.,Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo A Kusi
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, Legon, Ghana
| | - Nathaniel Coleman
- Department of Biological Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Amos Laar
- Department of Biological Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Michel Cot
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Julius Fobil
- Department of Biological Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Gloria Quansah Asare
- Department of Biological Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Abraham K Anang
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Michael F Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, Legon, Ghana
| | - Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, F-75006, Paris, France. .,Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, Legon, Ghana.
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13
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Tuikue Ndam N, Tornyigah B, Dossou AY, Escriou G, Nielsen MA, Salanti A, Issifou S, Massougbodji A, Chippaux JP, Deloron P. Persistent Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Women With an Intent to Become Pregnant as a Risk Factor for Pregnancy-associated Malaria. Clin Infect Dis 2019; 67:1890-1896. [PMID: 29733338 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pregnant women are more susceptible to Plasmodium falciparum than before pregnancy, and infection has consequences for both mother and offspring. The World Health Organization recommends that pregnant woman in areas of transmission receive intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) starting in the second trimester. Consequently, women are not protected during the first trimester, although P. falciparum infections are both frequent and harmful. Methods A cohort of nulligravid women was followed up during subsequent pregnancy. Malaria was diagnosed by means of microscopy and polymerase chain reaction. Parasites were genotyped at polymorphic loci. Results Among 275 nulligravidae enrolled, 68 women became pregnant and were followed up during pregnancy. Before pregnancy, P. falciparum prevalence rates were 15% by microscopy and 66% by polymerase chain reaction. Microscopic infection rates increased to 29% until IPTp administration, and their density increased by 20-fold. Conversely, submicroscopic infection rates decreased. After IPTp administration, all types of infections decreased, but they increased again late in pregnancy. The risk of infection during pregnancy was higher in women with a microscopic (odds ratio, 6.5; P = .047) or submicroscopic (3.06; P = .05) infection before pregnancy and was not related to the season of occurrence. Most infections during pregnancy were persistent infections acquired before pregnancy. Conclusions Microscopic and submicroscopic malaria infections were frequent in nulligravid women from south Benin. During the first trimester of pregnancy, microscopic infections were more frequent, with a higher parasite density, and mainly derived from parasites infecting the woman before conception. Preventive strategies targeting nonpregnant women with a desire for conception need to be designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Mère et Enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.,Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon
| | - Bernard Tornyigah
- Mère et Enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.,Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon
| | | | - Guillaume Escriou
- Mère et Enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Morten A Nielsen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Denmark
| | - Ali Salanti
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Denmark
| | - Saadou Issifou
- Centre de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et l'Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Centre de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et l'Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Jean-Philippe Chippaux
- Mère et Enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.,Centre de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et l'Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Philippe Deloron
- Mère et Enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
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14
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Gupta H, Galatas B, Matambisso G, Nhamussua L, Cisteró P, Bassat Q, Casellas A, Macete E, Aponte JJ, Sacoor C, Alonso P, Saúte F, Guinovart C, Aide P, Mayor A. Differential expression of var subgroups and PfSir2a genes in afebrile Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a matched case-control study. Malar J 2019; 18:326. [PMID: 31547813 PMCID: PMC6755688 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Poor knowledge on the afebrile Plasmodium falciparum biology limits elimination approaches to target asymptomatic malaria. Therefore, the association of parasite factors involved in cytoadhesion, parasite multiplication and gametocyte maturation with afebrile malaria was assessed. Methods Plasmodium falciparum isolates were collected from febrile (axillary temperature ≥ 37.5 °C or a reported fever in the previous 24 h) and afebrile (fever neither at the visit nor in the previous 24 h) individuals residing in Southern Mozambique. var, PfSir2a and Pfs25 transcript levels were determined by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCRs (RT-qPCRs) and compared among 61 pairs of isolates matched by parasite density, age and year of sample collection. Results The level of varC and PfSir2a transcripts was higher in P. falciparum isolates from afebrile individuals (P ≤ 0.006), while varB and DC8 genes (P ≤ 0.002) were higher in isolates from individuals with febrile infections. After adjusting the analysis by area of residence, doubling the relative transcript unit (RTU) of varC and PfSir2a was associated with a 29.7 (95% CI 4.6–192.3) and 8.5 (95% CI 1.9–32.2) fold increases, respectively, of the odds of being afebrile. In contrast, doubling the RTU of varB and DC8 was associated with a 0.8 (95% CI 0.05–0.6) and 0.2 (95% CI 0.04–0.6) fold changes, respectively, of the odds of being afebrile. No significant differences were found for Pfs25 transcript levels in P. falciparum isolates from afebrile and febrile individuals. Conclusions var and gametocyte-specific transcript patterns in febrile and afebrile infections from southern Mozambique matched by age, parasite density and recruitment period suggest similar transmissibility but differential expression of variant antigens involved in cytoadhesion and immune-evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Gupta
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Beatriz Galatas
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | | | - Lidia Nhamussua
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatrics department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.,Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aina Casellas
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eusébio Macete
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - John J Aponte
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | | | - Pedro Alonso
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Francisco Saúte
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Caterina Guinovart
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique.,National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Mozambique
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15
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Yin J, Li M, Yan H, Zhou S. Considerations on PCR-based methods for malaria diagnosis in China malaria diagnosis reference laboratory network. Biosci Trends 2019; 12:510-514. [PMID: 30473560 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2018.01198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Precise diagnosis is a key measurement for malaria control and elimination, traditional microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests cannot satisfy the requirements especially in the low transmission endemic areas or in the malaria elimination phase. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with high sensitivity and specificity can be considered as a diagnostic standard while no uniform PCR assay was established due to variations in their performance and lack of formal external quality assurance programs for validation for PCR assays in use. Here, 24 articles including 43 paired comparative evaluations limited to paired comparison of diagnostic performance between real-time PCR and conventional PCR to detect plasmodium in blood samples of human subjects from clinics or the field are systematically summarized. And according to the Landis and Koch classification, nineteen pairs showed almost perfect agreement, followed by 8 pairs of moderate agreement and 4 pairs of good agreement, while the kappa values of 12 pairs couldn't be examined. Moreover, the performance of 14 pairs were completely the same and 8 pairs had no differences, but 14 pairs were significant different including 8 pairs of real-time PCR with better performance than conventional PCR. Therefore, it is still an outstanding issue to choose PCR methods, and more work such as the standardization of materials and methods in use and their availability are needed to settle priority to better promote the role of malaria diagnosis reference laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhai Yin
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health
| | - Mei Li
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health
| | - He Yan
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health
| | - Shuisen Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health
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16
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Martínez-Pérez G, Lansana DP, Omeonga S, Gupta H, Breeze-Barry B, González R, Bardají A, Sarukhan A, Goteh JDK, Tody E, Cisteró P, Benda B, Kercula JD, Kibungu FD, Meyer García-Sípido A, Bassat Q, Tarr-Attia CK, Mayor A. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection among pregnant women at first antenatal visit in post-Ebola Monrovia, Liberia. Malar J 2018; 17:357. [PMID: 30314489 PMCID: PMC6186138 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2506-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disruption of malaria control strategies during the West African 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic led to an increase in malaria-attributable mortality. However, recent data on malaria infection in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, are lacking in this post-Ebola scenario. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection and of molecular markers of drug resistance among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Monrovia, capital of Liberia. METHODS From October 2016 to June 2017, all pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit at the Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Monrovia, were invited to participate in the study. In addition to their routine antenatal care tests, capillary blood spotted onto filter papers were collected from all consenting participants to determine presence of P. falciparum by real-time quantitative PCR. Molecular markers of anti-malarial drug resistance were assessed through Sanger sequencing and quantitative PCR in specimens positive for P. falciparum analysis. RESULTS Of the 195 women participants, 24 (12.3%) were P. falciparum-positive by qPCR. Infected women tended to be more commonly primigravidae and younger than uninfected ones. Parasite densities were higher in primigravidae. Fever was more frequently detected among the infected women. No statistically significant association between P. falciparum infection and haemoglobin levels or insecticide-treated net use was found. While high prevalence of genetic polymorphisms associated with chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance were detected, no molecular markers of artemisinin resistance were observed. CONCLUSION Plasmodium falciparum infections are expected to occur in at least one in every eight women attending first ANC at private clinics in Monrovia and outside the peak of the rainy season. Young primigravidae are at increased risk of P. falciparum infection. Molecular analyses did not provide evidence of resistance to artemisinins among the P. falciparum isolates tested. Further epidemiological studies involving pregnant women are necessary to describe the risk of malaria in this highly susceptible group outside Monrovia, as well as to closely monitor the emergence of resistance to anti-malarials, as recommended by the Liberian National Malaria Control Programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Martínez-Pérez
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia.
| | - Dawoh Peter Lansana
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Senga Omeonga
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Himanshu Gupta
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bondey Breeze-Barry
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Raquel González
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Azucena Bardají
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adelaida Sarukhan
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - James D K Goteh
- Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Edith Tody
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benard Benda
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Juwe D Kercula
- Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Fanta D Kibungu
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | | | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christine K Tarr-Attia
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Hospital, Oldest Congo Town, PO Box 10-512, 1100, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
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17
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Molecular assays for antimalarial drug resistance surveillance: A target product profile. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204347. [PMID: 30235327 PMCID: PMC6147503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimalarial drug resistance is a major constraint for malaria control and elimination efforts. Artemisinin-based combination therapy is now the mainstay for malaria treatment. However, delayed parasite clearance following treatment with artemisinin derivatives has now spread in the Greater Mekong Sub region and may emerge or spread to other malaria endemic regions. This spread is of great concern for malaria control programmes, as no alternatives to artemisinin-based combination therapies are expected to be available in the near future. There is a need to strengthen surveillance systems for early detection and response to the antimalarial drug resistance threat. Current surveillance is mainly done through therapeutic efficacy studies; however these studies are complex and both time- and resource-intensive. For multiple common antimalarials, parasite drug resistance has been correlated with specific genetic mutations, and the molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance offer a simple and powerful tool to monitor the emergence and spread of resistant parasites. Different techniques to analyse molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance are available, each with advantages and disadvantages. However, procedures are not adequately harmonized to facilitate comparisons between sites. Here we describe the target product profiles for tests to analyse molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance, discuss how use of current techniques can be standardised, and identify the requirements for an ideal product that would allow malaria endemic countries to provide useful spatial and temporal information on the spread of resistance.
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18
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Rodríguez-Valero N, Camprubí D, García-Guijarro E, Llenas-García J, Alejo-Cancho I, Cisteró P, Mayor A, Muñoz J, Gupta H. Suspected quinine resistant P. falciparum severe malaria possibly acquired in Ivory Coast. Parasitol Int 2018; 67:684-687. [PMID: 30008393 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
An expatriate to Ivory Coast (supposedly allergic to artemether-lumefantrine) was diagnosed with severe malaria in Spain. Parasitemia increased from 2% up to 21% within 24 h under quinine (10 mg/kg) and clindamycin (450 mg/8 h) combination treatment. Molecular profiling of the patient revealed the presence of molecular markers of quinine and other antimalarials resistance. Additionally, multiple copies of pfpm2 gene were also noticed in the patient sample, despite the absence of piperaquine drug pressure in Ivory Coast. Parasitemia was cleared with artesunate (2.4 mg/kg) under a desensitization protocol. Nevertheless, detection of early treatment failure is needed mainly in cases of suspected antimalarial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Rodríguez-Valero
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Camprubí
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena García-Guijarro
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jara Llenas-García
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Pau Cisteró
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - José Muñoz
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Himanshu Gupta
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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19
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Gupta H, Macete E, Bulo H, Salvador C, Warsame M, Carvalho E, Ménard D, Ringwald P, Bassat Q, Enosse S, Mayor A. Drug-Resistant Polymorphisms and Copy Numbers in Plasmodium falciparum, Mozambique, 2015. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 24:40-48. [PMID: 29260689 PMCID: PMC5749434 DOI: 10.3201/eid2401.170864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the fundamental steps toward malaria control is the use of antimalarial drugs. The success of antimalarial treatment can be affected by the presence of drug-resistant populations of Plasmodium falciparum. To assess resistance, we used molecular methods to examine 351 P. falciparum isolates collected from 4 sentinel sites in Mozambique for K13, pfmdr1, pfcrt, and pfdhps polymorphisms and for plasmepsin2 (pfpm2) and pfmdr1 copy numbers. We found multiple copies of pfpm2 in 1.1% of isolates. All isolates carried K13 wild-type alleles (3D7-like), except 4 novel polymorphisms (Leu619Leu, Phe656Ile, Val666Val, Gly690Gly). Prevalence of isolates with pfcrt mutant (K76T) allele was low (2.3%). Prevalence of isolates with pfdhps mutant alleles (A437G and K540E) was >80%, indicating persistence of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine resistance; however, markers of artemisinin were absent, and markers of piperaquine resistance were low. Piperaquine resistance isolates may spread in Mozambique as dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine drug pressure increases.
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20
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Doritchamou JYA, Akuffo RA, Moussiliou A, Luty AJF, Massougbodji A, Deloron P, Tuikue Ndam NG. Submicroscopic placental infection by non-falciparum Plasmodium spp. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006279. [PMID: 29432484 PMCID: PMC5825172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among the Plasmodium species that infect humans, adverse effects of P. falciparum and P. vivax have been extensively studied and reported with respect to poor outcomes particularly in first time mothers and in pregnant women living in areas with unstable malaria transmission. Although, other non-falciparum malaria infections during pregnancy have sometimes been reported, little is known about the dynamics of these infections during pregnancy. METHODS AND FINDINGS Using a quantitative PCR approach, blood samples collected from Beninese pregnant women during the first antenatal visit (ANV) and at delivery including placental blood were screened for Plasmodium spp. Risk factors associated with Plasmodium spp. infection during pregnancy were assessed as well as the relationships with pregnancy outcomes. P. falciparum was the most prevalent Plasmodium species detected during pregnancy, irrespective either of parity, of age or of season during which the infection occurred. Although no P. vivax infections were detected in this cohort, P. malariae (9.2%) and P. ovale (5.8%) infections were observed in samples collected during the first ANV. These non-falciparum infections were also detected in maternal peripheral blood (1.3% for P. malariae and 1.2% for P. ovale) at delivery. Importantly, higher prevalence of P. malariae (5.5%) was observed in placental than peripheral blood while that of P. ovale was similar (1.8% in placental blood). Among the non-falciparum infected pregnant women with paired peripheral and placental samples, P. malariae infections in the placental blood was significantly higher than in the peripheral blood, suggesting a possible affinity of P. malariae for the placenta. However, no assoctiation of non-falciparum infections and the pregnancy outcomes was observed. CONCLUSIONS Overall this study provided insights into the molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium spp. infection during pregnancy, indicating placental infection by non-falciparum Plasmodium and the lack of association of these infections with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Y. A. Doritchamou
- MERIT, Intitut de Recherche pour le Developpement—Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Richard A. Akuffo
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Azizath Moussiliou
- MERIT, Intitut de Recherche pour le Developpement—Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Adrian J. F. Luty
- MERIT, Intitut de Recherche pour le Developpement—Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Philippe Deloron
- MERIT, Intitut de Recherche pour le Developpement—Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nicaise G. Tuikue Ndam
- MERIT, Intitut de Recherche pour le Developpement—Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- * E-mail:
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21
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Gupta H, Matambisso G, Galatas B, Cisteró P, Nhamussua L, Simone W, Cunningham J, Rabinovich NR, Alonso P, Saute F, Aide P, Mayor A. Molecular surveillance of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Mozambique. Malar J 2017; 16:416. [PMID: 29037193 PMCID: PMC5644146 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2061-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria programmes use Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein-2 (PfHRP2) based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria diagnosis. The deletion of this target antigen could potentially lead to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and continuation of active transmission. Methods Plasmodium falciparum isolates (n = 1162) collected in Southern Mozambique were assessed by RDTs, microscopy and/or 18SrRNA qPCR. pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions were investigated in isolates from individuals who were negative by RDT but positive by microscopy and/or qPCR (n = 69) using gene-specific PCRs, with kelch13 PCR as the parasite DNA control. Results Lack of pfhrp2 PCR amplification was observed in one of the 69 isolates subjected to molecular analysis [1.45% (95% CI 0.3–7.8%)]. Conclusions The low prevalence of pfhrp2 deletions suggests that RDTs will detect the vast majority of the P. falciparum infections. Nevertheless, active surveillance for changing deletion frequencies is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Gupta
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gloria Matambisso
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Beatriz Galatas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lidia Nhamussua
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Wilson Simone
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Jane Cunningham
- World Health Organization (WHO), Global Malaria Programme, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - N Regina Rabinovich
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Pedro Alonso
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Francisco Saute
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 153 (CEK Building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.
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22
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Ndam NT, Mbuba E, González R, Cisteró P, Kariuki S, Sevene E, Rupérez M, Fonseca AM, Vala A, Maculuve S, Jiménez A, Quintó L, Ouma P, Ramharter M, Aponte JJ, Nhacolo A, Massougbodji A, Briand V, Kremsner PG, Mombo-Ngoma G, Desai M, Macete E, Cot M, Menéndez C, Mayor A. Resisting and tolerating P. falciparum in pregnancy under different malaria transmission intensities. BMC Med 2017; 15:130. [PMID: 28712360 PMCID: PMC5513247 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-017-0893-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resistance and tolerance to Plasmodium falciparum can determine the progression of malaria disease. However, quantitative evidence of tolerance is still limited. We investigated variations in the adverse impact of P. falciparum infections among African pregnant women under different intensities of malaria transmission. METHODS P. falciparum at delivery was assessed by microscopy, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and placental histology in 946 HIV-uninfected and 768 HIV-infected pregnant women from Benin, Gabon, Kenya and Mozambique. Resistance was defined by the proportion of submicroscopic infections and the levels of anti-parasite antibodies quantified by Luminex, and tolerance by the relationship of pregnancy outcomes with parasite densities at delivery. RESULTS P. falciparum prevalence by qPCR in peripheral and/or placental blood of HIV-uninfected Mozambican, Gabonese and Beninese women at delivery was 6% (21/340), 11% (28/257) and 41% (143/349), respectively. The proportion of peripheral submicroscopic infections was higher in Benin (83%) than in Mozambique (60%) and Gabon (55%; P = 0.033). Past or chronic placental P. falciparum infection was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth in Mozambican newborns (OR = 7.05, 95% CI 1.79 to 27.82). Microscopic infections were associated with reductions in haemoglobin levels at delivery among Mozambican women (-1.17 g/dL, 95% CI -2.09 to -0.24) as well as with larger drops in haemoglobin levels from recruitment to delivery in Mozambican (-1.66 g/dL, 95% CI -2.68 to -0.64) and Gabonese (-0.91 g/dL, 95% CI -1.79 to -0.02) women. Doubling qPCR-peripheral parasite densities in Mozambican women were associated with decreases in haemoglobin levels at delivery (-0.16 g/dL, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.02) and increases in the drop of haemoglobin levels (-0.29 g/dL, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.14). Beninese women had higher anti-parasite IgGs than Mozambican women (P < 0.001). No difference was found in the proportion of submicroscopic infections nor in the adverse impact of P. falciparum infections in HIV-infected women from Kenya (P. falciparum prevalence by qPCR: 9%, 32/351) and Mozambique (4%, 15/417). CONCLUSIONS The lowest levels of resistance and tolerance in pregnant women from areas of low malaria transmission were accompanied by the largest adverse impact of P. falciparum infections. Exposure-dependent mechanisms developed by pregnant women to resist the infection and minimise pathology can reduce malaria-related adverse outcomes. Distinguishing both types of defences is important to understand how reductions in transmission can affect malaria disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00811421 . Registered 18 December 2008.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France.,COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France.,Faculté des Sciences de la Santé (FSS), Université d'Aboméy Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Emmanuel Mbuba
- Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre (BRTC), Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Raquel González
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pau Cisteró
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simon Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Esperança Sevene
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.,Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - María Rupérez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Ana Maria Fonseca
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anifa Vala
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Sonia Maculuve
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfons Jiménez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Llorenç Quintó
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé (FSS), Université d'Aboméy Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Peter Ouma
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Michael Ramharter
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Medicine I, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - John J Aponte
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Arsenio Nhacolo
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé (FSS), Université d'Aboméy Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Valerie Briand
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Peter G Kremsner
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Meghna Desai
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Eusebio Macete
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Michel Cot
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Clara Menéndez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.
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23
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Validity of a minimally invasive autopsy tool for cause of death determination in pediatric deaths in Mozambique: An observational study. PLoS Med 2017; 14:e1002317. [PMID: 28632739 PMCID: PMC5478091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent decades, the world has witnessed unprecedented progress in child survival. However, our knowledge of what is killing nearly 6 million children annually in low- and middle-income countries remains poor, partly because of the inadequacy and reduced precision of the methods currently utilized in these settings to investigate causes of death (CoDs). The study objective was to validate the use of a minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) approach as an adequate and more acceptable substitute for the complete diagnostic autopsy (CDA) for pediatric CoD investigation in a poor setting. METHODS AND FINDINGS In this observational study, the validity of the MIA approach in determining the CoD was assessed in 54 post-neonatal pediatric deaths (age range: ≥1 mo to 15 y) in a referral hospital of Mozambique by comparing the results of the MIA with those of the CDA. Concordance in the category of disease obtained by the two methods was evaluated by the Kappa statistic, and the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the MIA diagnoses were calculated. A CoD was identified in all cases in the CDA and in 52/54 (96%) of the cases in the MIA, with infections and malignant tumors accounting for the majority of diagnoses. The MIA categorization of disease showed a substantial concordance with the CDA categorization (Kappa = 0.70, 95% CI 0.49-0.92), and sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were high. The ICD-10 diagnoses were coincident in up to 75% (36/48) of the cases. The MIA allowed the identification of the specific pathogen deemed responsible for the death in two-thirds (21/32; 66%) of all deaths of infectious origin. Discrepancies between the MIA and the CDA in individual diagnoses could be minimized with the addition of some basic clinical information such as those ascertainable through a verbal autopsy or clinical record. The main limitation of the analysis is that both the MIA and the CDA include some degree of expert subjective interpretation. CONCLUSIONS The MIA showed substantial concordance with CDA for CoD identification in this series of pediatric deaths in Mozambique. This minimally invasive approach, simpler and more readily acceptable than the more invasive CDA, could provide robust data for CoD surveillance, especially in resource-limited settings, which could be helpful for guiding child survival strategies in the future.
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In-Vivo Efficacy of Chloroquine to Clear Asymptomatic Infections in Mozambican Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial with Implications for Elimination Strategies. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1356. [PMID: 28465550 PMCID: PMC5430993 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01365-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports regarding the re-emergence of parasite sensitivity to chloroquine call for a new consideration of this drug as an interesting complementary tool in malaria elimination efforts, given its good safety profile and long half-life. A randomized (2:1), single-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in Manhiça, Mozambique, to assess the in-vivo efficacy of chloroquine to clear plasmodium falciparum (Pf) asymptomatic infections. Primary study endpoint was the rate of adequate and parasitological response (ACPR) to therapy on day 28 (PCR-corrected). Day 0 isolates were analyzed to assess the presence of the PfCRT-76T CQ resistance marker. A total of 52 and 27 male adults were included in the CQ and Placebo group respectively. PCR-corrected ACPR was significantly higher in the CQ arm 89.4% (95%CI 80–98%) compared to the placebo (p < 0.001). CQ cleared 49/50 infections within the first 72 h while placebo cleared 12/26 (LRT p < 0.001). The PfCRT-76T mutation was present only in one out of 108 (0.9%) samples at baseline, well below the 84% prevalence found in 1999 in the same area. This study presents preliminary evidence of a return of chloroquine sensitivity in Mozambican Pf isolates, and calls for its further evaluation in community-based malaria elimination efforts, in combination with other effective anti-malarials. Trial registration: www.clinicalTrials.gov NCT02698748.
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Martínez MJ, Massora S, Mandomando I, Ussene E, Jordao D, Lovane L, Muñoz-Almagro C, Castillo P, Mayor A, Rodriguez C, Lopez-Villanueva M, Ismail MR, Carrilho C, Lorenzoni C, Lacerda MVG, Bassat Q, Menéndez C, Ordi J, Vila J. Infectious cause of death determination using minimally invasive autopsies in developing countries. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2015; 84:80-86. [PMID: 26508103 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In developing countries, the knowledge of the microorganisms causing fatal infections is critical and could help designing and implementing more effective preventive interventions and treatment guidelines. We aimed to develop and validate protocols for microbiological analysis in post-mortem samples obtained during minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) procedures and to assess their performance. Thirty MIAs performed in adults at Maputo Central Hospital in Southern Mozambique were included in the analysis. Microbiological tests included a universal screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, Plasmodium falciparum, and bacterial/fungal culture. In addition, a variety of molecular microbiology assays guided by the histological results were performed in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and a variety of tissue samples including liver, lung and central nervous system. The combination of culture-based methods together with molecular microbiological assays led to the identification of 17 out of 19 (89.5%) of the infectious deaths. Microorganisms identified included Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Toxoplasma gondii, Pneumocystis jiroveci, Cryptococcus neoformans, hepatitis B virus, human herpesvirus 8, cytomegalovirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Ryzopus oryzae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The combination of classical cultures, serological tests and molecular assays performed in samples obtained through MIA allows the identification of most infectious agents causing death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel J Martínez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Sergio Massora
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Inácio Mandomando
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Esperança Ussene
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Dercio Jordao
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Lucilia Lovane
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Carmen Muñoz-Almagro
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, University Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paola Castillo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Cristina Rodriguez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mamudo R Ismail
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Carla Carrilho
- Department of Pathology, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Marcus V G Lacerda
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Viera Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Clara Menéndez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Jaume Ordi
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Pathology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Vila
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
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Kobayashi T, Gamboa D, Ndiaye D, Cui L, Sutton PL, Vinetz JM. Malaria Diagnosis Across the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research: Platforms, Performance, and Standardization. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 93:99-109. [PMID: 26259937 PMCID: PMC4574279 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Diagnosis is “the act of identifying a disease, illness, or problem by examining someone or something.” When an individual with acute fever presents for clinical attention, accurate diagnosis leading to specific, prompt treatment often saves lives. As applied to malaria, not only individual patient diagnosis is important but also assessing population-level malaria prevalence using appropriate diagnostic methods is essential for public health purposes. Similarly, identifying (diagnosing) fake antimalarial medications prevents the use of counterfeit drugs that can have disastrous effects. Therefore, accurate diagnosis in broad areas related to malaria is fundamental to improving health-care delivery, informing funding agencies of current malaria situations, and aiding in the prioritization of regional and national control efforts. The International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR), supported by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has collaborated on global efforts to improve malaria diagnostics by working to harmonize and systematize procedures across different regions where endemicity and financial resources vary. In this article, the different diagnostic methods used across each ICEMR are reviewed and challenges are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamaki Kobayashi
- *Address correspondence to Tamaki Kobayashi, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, W4612, Baltimore, MD 21205, E-mail: or Joseph M. Vinetz, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, E-mail:
| | | | | | | | | | - Joseph M. Vinetz
- *Address correspondence to Tamaki Kobayashi, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, W4612, Baltimore, MD 21205, E-mail: or Joseph M. Vinetz, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, E-mail:
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Ibitokou SA, Denoeud-Ndam L, Ezinmegnon S, Ladékpo R, Zannou DM, Massougbodji A, Girard PM, Cot M, Luty AJF, Ndam NT. Insights Into Circulating Cytokine Dynamics During Pregnancy in HIV-Infected Beninese Exposed to Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 93:287-92. [PMID: 26101276 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the circulating plasma levels of Th1- (Interleukin-2 [IL-2], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) and Th2-type (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10) cytokines in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women living in a malaria-endemic area. We analyzed samples from 200 pregnant women included in the prevention of pregnancy-associated malaria in HIV-infected women: cotrimoxazole prophylaxis versus mefloquine (PACOME) clinical trial who were followed until delivery. Cytokine concentrations were measured by flow cytometry-based multiplex bead array. Significantly elevated levels of IL-10 and lower levels of TNF-α were observed at delivery compared with inclusion (P = 0.005). At inclusion, the presence of circulating IFN-γ, a higher CD4(+) T cell count and having initiated intermittent preventive treatment of malaria with sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP-IPTp) were all associated with a lower likelihood of Plasmodium falciparum infection. At delivery, the inverse relationship between the presence of infection and circulating IFN-γ persisted, although there was a positive association between the likelihood of infection and the presence of circulating TNF-α. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy was associated with elevated IL-5 production. Consistent with our own and others' observations in HIV seronegative subjects, this study shows circulating IL-10 to be a marker of infection with P. falciparum during pregnancy even in HIV-infected women, although plasma IFN-γ may be a marker of anti-malarial protection in such women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samad A Ibitokou
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Lise Denoeud-Ndam
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Sèm Ezinmegnon
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Rodolphe Ladékpo
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Djimon-Marcel Zannou
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Marie Girard
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Michel Cot
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Adrian J F Luty
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 216, Mère et enfant face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France; Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
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Characterization of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri in Western Kenya utilizing a novel species-specific real-time PCR assay. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003469. [PMID: 25590587 PMCID: PMC4295880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium ovale is comprised of two genetically distinct subspecies, P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. Although P. ovale subspecies are similar based on morphology and geographical distribution, allelic differences indicate that P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri are genetically divergent. Additionally, potential clinical and latency duration differences between P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri demonstrate the need for investigation into the contribution of this neglected malaria parasite to the global malaria burden. Methods In order to detect all P. ovale subspecies simultaneously, we developed an inclusive P. ovale-specific real-time PCR assay based on conserved regions between P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri in the reticulocyte binding protein 2 (rbp2) gene. Additionally, we characterized the P. ovale subspecies prevalence from 22 asymptomatic malaria infections using multilocus genotyping to discriminate P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. Results Our P. ovale rbp2 qPCR assay validation experiments demonstrated a linear dynamic range from 6.25 rbp2 plasmid copies/microliter to 100,000 rbp2 plasmid copies/microliter and a limit of detection of 1.5 rbp2 plasmid copies/microliter. Specificity experiments showed the ability of the rbp2 qPCR assay to detect low-levels of P. ovale in the presence of additional malaria parasite species, including P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. malariae. We identified P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri in Western Kenya by DNA sequencing of the tryptophan-rich antigen gene, the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, and the rbp2 gene. Conclusions Our novel P. ovale rbp2 qPCR assay detects P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri simultaneously and can be utilized to characterize the prevalence, distribution, and burden of P. ovale in malaria endemic regions. Using multilocus genotyping, we also provided the first description of the prevalence of P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri in Western Kenya, a region holoendemic for malaria transmission. Humans can be infected with five malaria parasite species: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. knowlesi, and P. ovale. Although the vast majority of malaria morbidity and mortality worldwide can be attributed to P. falciparum, non-falciparum malaria parasites can also cause clinical disease. Researchers use nucleic acid based detection methods, such a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to detect low-density malaria parasitemias that can evade microscopic detection. P. ovale was recently identified to exist as two subspecies, P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri, that look identical but differ genetically. In this study, we developed a novel real-time PCR (qPCR) assay to detect all P. ovale parasites, based on a conserved gene between P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. We also used DNA sequencing to differentiate between P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri from a small sample of P. ovale asymptomatic infections in Western Kenya. Through the use of our novel rbp2 qPCR assay, we aim to characterize the prevalence of P. ovale in future epidemiological studies in order to better understand this neglected malaria parasite species.
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A nested real-time PCR assay for the quantification of Plasmodium falciparum DNA extracted from dried blood spots. Malar J 2014; 13:393. [PMID: 25282516 PMCID: PMC4197274 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As public health efforts seek to eradicate malaria, there has been an emphasis on eliminating low-density parasite reservoirs in asymptomatic carriers. As such, diagnosing submicroscopic Plasmodium infections using PCR-based techniques has become important not only in clinical trials of malaria vaccines and therapeutics, but also in active malaria surveillance campaigns. However, PCR-based quantitative assays that rely on nucleic acid extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) have demonstrated lower sensitivity than assays that use cryopreserved whole blood as source material. Methods The density of Plasmodium falciparum asexual parasites was quantified using genomic DNA extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) and the sensitivity of two approaches was compared: quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting the P. falciparum 18S ribosomal RNA gene, either with an initial conventional PCR amplification prior to qPCR (nested qPCR), or without an initial amplification (qPCR only). Parasite densities determined by nested qPCR, qPCR only, and light microscopy were compared. Results Nested qPCR results in 10-fold higher sensitivity (0.5 parasites/μl) when compared to qPCR only (five parasites/ul). Among microscopy-positive samples, parasite densities calculated by nested qPCR correlated strongly with microscopy for both asymptomatic (Pearson’s r = 0.58, P < 0.001) and symptomatic (Pearson’s r = 0.70, P < 0.0001) P. falciparum infections. Conclusion Nested qPCR improves the sensitivity for the detection of P. falciparum blood-stage infection from clinical DBS samples. This approach may be useful for active malaria surveillance in areas where submicroscopic asymptomatic infections are prevalent. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1475-2875-13-393) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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