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Anstey NM, Tham WH, Shanks GD, Poespoprodjo JR, Russell BM, Kho S. The biology and pathogenesis of vivax malaria. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:573-590. [PMID: 38749866 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax contributes significantly to global malaria morbidity. Key advances include the discovery of pathways facilitating invasion by P. vivax merozoites of nascent reticulocytes, crucial for vaccine development. Humanized mouse models and hepatocyte culture systems have enhanced understanding of hypnozoite biology. The spleen has emerged as a major reservoir for asexual vivax parasites, replicating in an endosplenic life cycle, and contributing to recurrent and chronic infections, systemic inflammation, and anemia. Splenic accumulation of uninfected red cells is the predominant cause of anemia. Recurring and chronic infections cause progressive anemia, malnutrition, and death in young children in high-transmission regions. Endothelial activation likely contributes to vivax-associated organ dysfunction. The many recent advances in vivax pathobiology should help guide new approaches to prevention and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - G Dennis Shanks
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jeanne R Poespoprodjo
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Centre for Child Health and Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Timika Malaria Research Facility, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia; Mimika District Hospital and District Health Authority, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia
| | - Bruce M Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Steven Kho
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Timika Malaria Research Facility, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia
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2
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Prasetyorini N, Erwan NE, Sardjono TW, Nurseta T, Utomo RP, Nugraha RYB, Cahayani WA, Rukmigarsari E, Arinugraha LN, Fitri LE. HIF-1α regulated pathomechanism of low birth weight through angiogenesis factors in placental Plasmodium vivax infection. F1000Res 2024; 11:131. [PMID: 38884107 PMCID: PMC11179053 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73820.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria in pregnancy leads to placental malaria. The primary pathogenesis of the complex fetal implications in placental malaria is tissue hypoxia due to sequestrations of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the placenta. However, the pathomechanism of placental Plasmodium vivax infection has not been thoroughly investigated. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key transcriptional mediator of the response to hypoxic conditions, which interacts with the change and imbalances of many chemical mediators, including angiogenic factors, leading to fetal growth abnormality. Methods This study was conducted cross-sectionally in Maumere, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, previously known as one of the malaria endemic areas with a high incidence of low birth weight (LBW) cases. This study collected peripheral and umbilical blood samples and placental tissues from mothers who delivered their babies with LBW at the TC Hiller Regional Hospital. All of the blood samples were examined for parasites by microscopic and PCR techniques, while the plasma levels of VEGF, PlGF, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and HIF-1α were determined using ELISA. The sequestration of infected erythrocytes and hemozoin was determined from placental histological slides, and the expression of placenta angiogenic factors was observed using the immunofluorescent technique. Results In this study, 33 cases had complete data to be analyzed. Of them, 19 samples were diagnosed as vivax malaria and none of falciparum malaria. There were significant differences in Δ 10th percentile growth curve of baby's body weights and also all angiogenic factors in placental tissues {VEGF, PlGF, and VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and HIF-1α} between those infected and not infected cases (p<0.05), but not for VEGF and VEGFR-2 in the plasma. Conclusion This study indicated that Plasmodium vivax sequestration may promote LBW through alterations and imbalances in angiogenic factors led by HIF-1α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nugrahanti Prasetyorini
- Doctoral Program in Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Brawijaya/dr Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Nabila Erina Erwan
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Master Program in Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Teguh Wahju Sardjono
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Tatit Nurseta
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Brawijaya/dr Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Rudi Priyo Utomo
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, dr T.C. Hillers Regional Hospital, Maumere, Sikka Regency, NTT, Indonesia
| | - Rivo Yudhinata Brian Nugraha
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Wike Astrid Cahayani
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Ettie Rukmigarsari
- Mathematics Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Islam Malang, Malang, Indonesia
| | | | - Loeki Enggar Fitri
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
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López-Guzmán C, García AM, Ramirez JD, Aliaga TT, Fernández-Moya A, Kemmerling U, Vásquez AM. Plasmodium falciparum alters the trophoblastic barrier and stroma villi organization of human placental villi explants. Malar J 2024; 23:130. [PMID: 38693572 PMCID: PMC11064279 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04960-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in the placenta, and the resulting inflammatory response affects maternal and child health. Despite existing information, little is known about the direct impact of P. falciparum on the placental barrier formed by trophoblast and villous stroma. This study aimed to assess placental tissue damage caused by P. falciparum in human placental explants (HPEs). METHODS HPEs from chorionic villi obtained of human term placentas (n = 9) from normal pregnancies were exposed to P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE) for 24 h. HPEs were embedded in paraffin blocks and used to study tissue damage through histopathological and histochemical analysis and apoptosis using TUNEL staining. Culture supernatants were collected to measure cytokine and angiogenic factors and to determine LDH activity as a marker of cytotoxicity. A subset of archived human term placenta paraffin-embedded blocks from pregnant women with malaria were used to confirm ex vivo findings. RESULTS Plasmodium falciparum-IE significantly damages the trophoblast layer and the villous stroma of the chorionic villi. The increased LDH activity and pathological findings such as syncytial knots, fibrin deposits, infarction, trophoblast detachment, and collagen disorganization supported these findings. The specific damage to the trophoblast and the thickening of the subjacent basal lamina were more pronounced in the ex vivo infection. In contrast, apoptosis was higher in the in vivo infection. This disparity could be attributed to the duration of exposure to the infection, which significantly varied between individuals naturally exposed over time and the 24-h exposure in the ex vivo HPE model. CONCLUSION Exposure to P. falciparum-IE induces a detachment of the syncytiotrophoblast, disorganization of the stroma villi, and an increase in apoptosis, alterations that may be associated with adverse results such as intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina López-Guzmán
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59 Torre 1, Laboratorio 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ana María García
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59 Torre 1, Laboratorio 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Diego Ramirez
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59 Torre 1, Laboratorio 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Trinidad Torres Aliaga
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandro Fernández-Moya
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana María Vásquez
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59 Torre 1, Laboratorio 610, Medellín, Colombia.
- Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 67 # 53-108, Bloque 5, Oficina 5-135, Medellín, Colombia.
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Walker IS, Rogerson SJ. Pathogenicity and virulence of malaria: Sticky problems and tricky solutions. Virulence 2023; 14:2150456. [PMID: 36419237 PMCID: PMC9815252 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2150456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax cause over 600,000 deaths each year, concentrated in Africa and in young children, but much of the world's population remain at risk of infection. In this article, we review the latest developments in the immunogenicity and pathogenesis of malaria, with a particular focus on P. falciparum, the leading malaria killer. Pathogenic factors include parasite-derived toxins and variant surface antigens on infected erythrocytes that mediate sequestration in the deep vasculature. Host response to parasite toxins and to variant antigens is an important determinant of disease severity. Understanding how parasites sequester, and how antibody to variant antigens could prevent sequestration, may lead to new approaches to treat and prevent disease. Difficulties in malaria diagnosis, drug resistance, and specific challenges of treating P. vivax pose challenges to malaria elimination, but vaccines and other preventive strategies may offer improved disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel S Walker
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Lwamulungi E, Qureshi Z, Obimbo M, Ogutu O, Cheserem E, Kosgei RJ, Walong E, Inyangala D, Nyakundi GG, Ndavi PM, Osoti AO, Ondieki DK, Pulei AN, Njoroge A, Masyuko S, Wachira CM. Placental characteristics and neonatal weights among women with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity and healthy pregnancies. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291172. [PMID: 37856468 PMCID: PMC10586625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria and preeclampsia are leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. They contribute significantly to poor perinatal outcomes like low neonatal weight by causing considerable placental morphological changes that impair placental function. Previous studies have described the effects of either condition on the placental structure but the structure of the placenta in malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity is largely understudied despite its high burden. This study aimed to compare the placental characteristics and neonatal weights among women with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity versus those with healthy pregnancies. METHODOLOGY We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 24 women with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity and 24 women with healthy pregnancies at a County Hospital in Western Kenya. Neonatal weights, gross and histo-morphometric placental characteristics were compared among the two groups. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in neonatal weights (P<0.001), placental weights (P = 0.028), cord length (P<0.001), and cord diameter (P<0.001) among women with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity compared to those with healthy pregnancies. There was also a significant reduction in villous maturity (P = 0.016) and villous volume density (P = 0.012) with increased villous vascularity (P<0.007) among women with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity compared to those with healthy pregnancies. CONCLUSION Placental villous maturity and villous volume density are significantly reduced in patients with malaria-preeclampsia comorbidity with a compensatory increase in villous vascularity. This leads to impaired placental function that contributes to lower neonatal weights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everett Lwamulungi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zahida Qureshi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Moses Obimbo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Omondi Ogutu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eunice Cheserem
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rose J. Kosgei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Edwin Walong
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Pathology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Dennis Inyangala
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Pathology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - George G. Nyakundi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Patrick M. Ndavi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alfred O. Osoti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Diana K. Ondieki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anne N. Pulei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anne Njoroge
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United states of America
| | - Sarah Masyuko
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United states of America
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Rent S, Bauserman M, Laktabai J, Tshefu AK, Taylor SM. Malaria in Pregnancy: Key Points for the Neonatologist. Neoreviews 2023; 24:e539-e552. [PMID: 37653081 DOI: 10.1542/neo.24-9-e539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
In malaria-endemic regions, infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium during pregnancy has been identified as a key modifiable factor in preterm birth, the delivery of low-birthweight infants, and stillbirth. Compared with their nonpregnant peers, pregnant persons are at higher risk for malaria infection. Malaria infection can occur at any time during pregnancy, with negative effects for the pregnant person and the fetus, depending on the trimester in which the infection is contracted. Pregnant patients who are younger, in their first or second pregnancy, and those coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus are at increased risk for malaria. Common infection prevention measures during pregnancy include the use of insecticide-treated bed nets and the use of intermittent preventive treatment with monthly doses of antimalarials, beginning in the second trimester in pregnant patients in endemic areas. In all trimesters, artemisinin-combination therapies are the first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria, similar to treatment in nonpregnant adults. The World Health Organization recently revised its recommendations, now listing the specific medication artemether-lumefantrine as first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in the first trimester. While strong prevention and detection methods exist, use of these techniques remains below global targets. Ongoing work on approaches to treatment and prevention of malaria during pregnancy remains at the forefront of global maternal child health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharla Rent
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | | | | | - Antoinette K Tshefu
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Steve M Taylor
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
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Megnekou R, Nana CMM, Djontu JC, Bitye BMZ, Nana BC, Zangue BKT, Donkeu CJ, Essangui E, Salawiss RM, Seumko’o RNM, Ayong L, Leke RGF. Chemokine modulation in microscopic and submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in women at delivery in Yaoundé, Cameroon. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280615. [PMID: 36689438 PMCID: PMC9870109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In pregnancy-associated malaria, chemokines such as CXCL-4, CXCL-13, CXCL-16, and CCL-24 play critical roles in leucocyte trafficking to tissue sites in the infected placenta where inflammatory reactions are active. However, how plasma levels of these chemokines associate with Plasmodium falciparum placental malaria and pregnancy outcomes remains not well understood. The present study analyzed the plasma levels of CXCL-4, CXCL-13, CXCL-16, and CCL-24 chemokines in matched peripheral, placental and cord blood in relation with placental malaria (PM), and with submicroscopic parasitaemia. This was a retrospective case-control study (1:3 ratio) involving samples from 134 women (34 PM+ and 100 PM-) enrolled at delivery at the Marie Reine Health Center in Yaoundé, Cameroon between June 2013 and October 2018. Samples were collected just after delivery and used to diagnose microscopic and submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum infections. Submicroscopic infections were detected by reverse transcription LAMP whereas chemokine levels were determined by Magnetic Luminex Screening Assay. Overall, PM was associated with increased plasma levels of CXCL-13 and CXCL-16 and low levels of CXCL-4 and CCL-24 in both peripheral and placental blood (0.0002 ≤ p ≤ 0.042). Similarly, CCL-24 levels in peripheral and placental blood samples were significantly lower in submicroscopically infected women compared to healthy controls (p = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). Maternal hemoglobin levels increased with peripheral plasma levels of CXCL-4 (p = 0.005), CXCL-16 (p = 0.03), and CCL-24 (p = 0.002) while birth weight was lower for babies born from women with high levels of peripheral CXCL-13 (p = 0.0006) and low levels of cord CXCL-4 and CCL-24 (p = 0.02 and 0.08, respectively). Together the data suggest that low levels of CXCL-4 and CCL-24 coupled with high plasma levels of CXCL-13 and for a lesser extend CXCL-16 represent signatures of PM in the study population. These findings are relevant for understanding the immunopathogenesis of PM and developing new therapeutic or preventive strategies against severe PM outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosette Megnekou
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Chris Marco Mbianda Nana
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Jean Claude Djontu
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Bernard Marie Zambo Bitye
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Benderli Christine Nana
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Berenice Kenfack Tekougang Zangue
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Estelle Essangui
- Malaria Research Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Rodrigue Mbea Salawiss
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Reine Ndeumou Medouen Seumko’o
- Department of Animal Biology and Physiology of the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Lawrence Ayong
- Malaria Research Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Rose Gana Fomban Leke
- The Immunology Laboratory of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
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Cardona-Arias JA, Carmona-Fonseca J. Congenital malaria: Frequency and epidemiology in Colombia, 2009-2020. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263451. [PMID: 35180230 PMCID: PMC8856554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital Malaria (CM) is an underestimated and under-researched problem in Colombia, despite its severe clinical, epidemiological, economic, and public health consequences. The objective was to determine the general frequency of CM, the specific frequency of CM by diagnostic test and plasmodial species, and identify its associated factors. A retrospective study was carried out using the records of 567 newborns. qPCR and Thick Blood Smear (TBS) were performed. The frequency of infection was determined with a 95% confidence interval. Associated factors were identified by non-parametric tests and odds ratios; the confusion was controlled with a logistic regression model. All cases corresponded to submicroscopic CM (negative with TBS and positive with PCR), and the frequency was 12.2% (95%CI = 9.4–14.9). The detection was statistically higher in the umbilical cord with 16,2% (95%CI = 12.4–19.9) versus peripheral blood of the newborn with 2.2% (95%CI = 0.7–4.9). CM was statistically higher in newborn whose mothers had malaria in the last year, gestational and placental malaria. The median birth weight in newborn infected with CM was lower compared to the one of healthy neonates. Because the control program in Colombia is based on TBS, it must be improved with the inclusion of other tests that allow the detection of submicroscopic CM. In addition, the program has other limitations such as do not have specific actions for pregnant women and have a passive surveillance system. These difficulties do not allow to show the magnitude of CM, its consequences on neonatal and infant health, constituting a serious problem of health injustice.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Birth Weight
- Colombia/epidemiology
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Infant, Low Birth Weight
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/blood
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/epidemiology
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/parasitology
- Malaria, Falciparum/blood
- Malaria, Falciparum/epidemiology
- Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology
- Malaria, Vivax/blood
- Malaria, Vivax/epidemiology
- Malaria, Vivax/parasitology
- Plasmodium falciparum/genetics
- Plasmodium vivax/genetics
- Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/blood
- Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/epidemiology
- Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/parasitology
- Retrospective Studies
- Umbilical Cord/parasitology
- Young Adult
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaiberth Antonio Cardona-Arias
- School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- “Grupo de Investigación César Uribe Piedrahíta”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Jaime Carmona-Fonseca
- “Grupo de Investigación César Uribe Piedrahíta”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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Kerby A, Graham N, Wallworth R, Batra G, Heazell A. Development of dynamic image analysis methods to measure vascularisation and syncytial nuclear aggregates in human placenta. Placenta 2022; 120:65-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum in Colombia: Histopathology and mediators in placental processes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263092. [PMID: 35077516 PMCID: PMC8789140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263092] [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: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge about the relation of histopathological characteristics and mediators of physiological processes in the placenta malaria (PM) is poor, and that PM caused by Plasmodium vivax is almost null. The objective was to compare histopathological characteristics, cytokines and mediators of physiological processes in PM depending on the parasitic species, through a cross-sectional study in three groups: negative-PM, vivax-PM, falciparum-PM from Northwestern Colombia. The diagnosis of PM was made with thick blood smear, qPCR, and histopathology. Immuno-histochemical was made with EnVision system (Dako) and Zeiss Axio Imager M2 with light microscope. Cells in apoptosis were studied with the TUNEL technique. To measure the expression level of cytokines and mediators qRT-PCR was used. We included 179 placentas without PM and 87 with PM (53% P. vivax and 47% P. falciparum). At delivery, anemia was 25% in negative-PM, 60% in vivax-PM, and 44% in falciparum-PM group. The neonatal weight had an intense difference between groups with 3292±394g in negative-PM, 2,841±239 in vivax-PM, and 2,957±352 in falciparum-PM. The histopathological characteristics and CD+ cells in placenta with statistical differences (Dunn´s test) between negative-PM vs vivax-PM (P. falciparum was similar to P. vivax) were infarction, fibrinoid deposits, calcification, cells in apoptosis, immune infiltrates in decidua and intervillous space, CD4+, CD8+, CD14+, CD56+, CD68+. The expression levels of mediators in the placenta with statistical differences (Dunn´s test) between negative-PM vs vivax-PM (P. falciparum was similar to P. vivax) were Fas, FasL, HIF1α, Cox1, Cox2, VEGF, IL4, IL10, IFNγ, TNF, TGFβ, FOXP3, and CTLA4. PM with P. falciparum and P. vivax, damages this organ and causes significant alteration of various physiological processes, which cause maternal anemia and a reduction in neonatal weight in degrees that are statistically and clinically significant. It is necessary that the search for plasmodial infection in pregnant and placenta goes from passive to active surveillance with adequate diagnostic capacity.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax infects an estimated 7 million people every year. Previously, vivax malaria was perceived as a benign condition, particularly when compared to falciparum malaria. Reports of the severe clinical impacts of vivax malaria have been increasing over the last decade. METHODS AND FINDINGS We describe the main clinical impacts of vivax malaria, incorporating a rapid systematic review of severe disease with meta-analysis of data from studies with clearly defined denominators, stratified by hospitalization status. Severe anemia is a serious consequence of relapsing infections in children in endemic areas, in whom vivax malaria causes increased morbidity and mortality and impaired school performance. P. vivax infection in pregnancy is associated with maternal anemia, prematurity, fetal loss, and low birth weight. More than 11,658 patients with severe vivax malaria have been reported since 1929, with 15,954 manifestations of severe malaria, of which only 7,157 (45%) conformed to the World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria. Out of 423 articles, 311 (74%) were published since 2010. In a random-effects meta-analysis of 85 studies, 68 of which were in hospitalized patients with vivax malaria, we estimated the proportion of patients with WHO-defined severe disease as 0.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19% to 2.57%] in all patients with vivax malaria and 7.11% [95% CI 4.30% to 11.55%] in hospitalized patients. We estimated the mortality from vivax malaria as 0.01% [95% CI 0.00% to 0.07%] in all patients and 0.56% [95% CI 0.35% to 0.92%] in hospital settings. WHO-defined cerebral, respiratory, and renal severe complications were generally estimated to occur in fewer than 0.5% patients in all included studies. Limitations of this review include the observational nature and small size of most of the studies of severe vivax malaria, high heterogeneity of included studies which were predominantly in hospitalized patients (who were therefore more likely to be severely unwell), and high risk of bias including small study effects. CONCLUSIONS Young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to adverse clinical impacts of vivax malaria, and preventing infections and relapse in this groups is a priority. Substantial evidence of severe presentations of vivax malaria has accrued over the last 10 years, but reporting is inconsistent. There are major knowledge gaps, for example, limited understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and the reason for the heterogenous geographical distribution of reported complications. An adapted case definition of severe vivax malaria would facilitate surveillance and future research to better understand this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Prabin Dahal
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory–IDDO, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Research and Education Development (IRED), University of Health Sciences, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Laos
- Lao–Oxford–Mahosot Hospital–Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos
| | - Elizabeth A. Ashley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Lao–Oxford–Mahosot Hospital–Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos
- * E-mail:
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Prasetyorini N, Erwan NE, Utomo RP, Nugraha RYB, Fitri LE. The Relationship Between Fetal Weight with Sequestration of Infected Erythrocyte, Monocyte Infiltration, and Malaria Pigment Deposition in Placenta of Mother Giving Birth Suffering from Plasmodium Vivax Infection. Med Arch 2021; 75:291-296. [PMID: 34759450 PMCID: PMC8563039 DOI: 10.5455/medarh.2021.75.291-296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria in pregnancy can cause fatal complications by parasite sequestration mechanism, which can cause monocyte infiltration in the intervillous space. P. vivax infection was significantly associated with malaria pigment in the placenta, indicating past subclinical infections. Objective This study aimed to determine the mechanism of P. vivax in the pathogenesis of placental malaria and its relationship with LBW. Methods This study was observational analytic with a cross-sectional approach. Placental tissue samples were obtained from pregnant women with LBW babies during delivery in Maumere, Nusa Tenggara Timur. The samples used in this study were confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction and consisted of 25 samples with 12 positive and 13 negative samples. Placental tissue samples were made with Hematoxylin-Eosin staining and observed under 1000x magnification at 100 fields using a light microscope. Parasite density, monocyte infiltration, and parasite pigments deposition were calculated. Results Microscopic observation revealed that there was a significant difference in infected erythrocytes sequestration between groups. Interestingly, monocyte and malaria pigments accumulation were found in malaria-positive and -negative groups, and no significant difference between groups. The correlation test showed no significant relationship between monocyte infiltration and LBW in the malaria-positive and -negative group and between parasite pigments and LBW in both groups. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between parasite density and LBW in the positive and negative groups. Conclusion P. vivax infection causes acute, sub-acute, and chronic placental malaria in subclinical infected pregnant women in Maumere, Nusa Tenggara Timur that might cause an LBW baby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nugrahanti Prasetyorini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Brawijaya/dr Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang, Indonesia.,Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Nabila Erina Erwan
- Doctoral Program in Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia.,Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Rudi Priyo Utomo
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, dr T.C. Hillers Hospital, Maumere, Sikka District, NTT, Indonesia
| | - Rivo Yudhinata Brian Nugraha
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia.,Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Loeki Enggar Fitri
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia.,Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
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Chua CLL, Khoo SKM, Ong JLE, Ramireddi GK, Yeo TW, Teo A. Malaria in Pregnancy: From Placental Infection to Its Abnormal Development and Damage. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:777343. [PMID: 34867919 PMCID: PMC8636035 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.777343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a global health burden with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for the highest mortality and morbidity. Malaria in pregnancy can lead to the development of placental malaria, where P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes adhere to placental receptors, triggering placental inflammation and subsequent damage, causing harm to both mother and her infant. Histopathological studies of P. falciparum-infected placentas revealed various placental abnormalities such as excessive perivillous fibrinoid deposits, breakdown of syncytiotrophoblast integrity, trophoblast basal lamina thickening, increased syncytial knotting, and accumulation of mononuclear immune cells within intervillous spaces. These events in turn, are likely to impair placental development and function, ultimately causing placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Hence, a better understanding of the mechanisms behind placental alterations and damage during placental malaria is needed for the design of effective interventions. In this review, using evidence from human studies and murine models, an integrated view on the potential mechanisms underlying placental pathologies in malaria in pregnancy is provided. The molecular, immunological and metabolic changes in infected placentas that reflect their responses to the parasitic infection and injury are discussed. Finally, potential models that can be used by researchers to improve our understanding on the pathogenesis of malaria in pregnancy and placental pathologies are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Long Ernest Ong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Tsin Wen Yeo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- National Center for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew Teo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE Rates of maternal sepsis are increasing, and prior studies of maternal sepsis have focused on immediate maternal morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis during delivery admission. There are no data on pregnancy outcomes among individuals who recover from their infections prior to delivery. OBJECTIVE To describe perinatal outcomes among patients with antepartum sepsis who did not deliver during their infection hospitalization. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from August 1, 2012, to August 1, 2018, at an academic referral center in San Francisco, California. Included patients were all individuals with nonanomalous, singleton pregnancies who delivered after 20 weeks' gestation during the study period. Data were analyzed from March 2020 through March 2021. EXPOSURES Antepartum admission for infection with clinical concern for sepsis and hospital discharge prior to delivery. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was a composite of perinatal outcomes associated with placental dysfunction and consisted of 1 or more of the following: fetal growth restriction, oligohydramnios, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, cesarean delivery for fetal indication, child who is small for gestational age, or stillbirth. RESULTS Among 14 565 patients with nonanomalous singleton pregnancies (mean [SD] age at delivery, 33.1 [5.2] years), 59 individuals (0.4%) were in the sepsis group and 14 506 individuals (99.6%) were in the nonsepsis group; 8533 individuals (59.0%) were nulliparous. Patients with sepsis, compared with patients in the reference group, were younger (mean [SD] age at delivery, 30.6 [5.7] years vs 33.1 [5.2] years; P < .001), were more likely to have pregestational diabetes (5 individuals [8.5%] vs 233 individuals [1.6%]; P = .003), and had higher mean (SD) pregestational body mass index scores (26.1 [6.1] vs 24.4 [5.9]; P = .03). In the sepsis group, the most common infections were urinary tract infections (24 patients [40.7%]) and pulmonary infections (22 patients [37.3%]). Among patients with sepsis, 5 individuals (8.5%) were admitted to the intensive care unit, the mean (SD) gestational age at infection was 24.6 (9.0) weeks, and the median (interquartile range) time from infection to delivery was 82 (42-147) days. Antepartum sepsis was associated with higher odds of placental dysfunction (21 patients [35.6%] vs 3450 patients [23.8%]; odds ratio, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.04-3.02; P = .04). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, antepartum sepsis was an independent factor associated with placental dysfunction (adjusted odds ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.10-3.23; P = .02) after adjusting for possible confounders. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that pregnancies complicated by antepartum sepsis were associated with higher odds of placental dysfunction. These findings suggest that increased antenatal surveillance should be considered for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A. Blauvelt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Kiana C. Nguyen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Arianna G. Cassidy
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Stephanie L. Gaw
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
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Singoei M, Obimbo MM, Odula PO, Gitaka J, Ongidi IH. Changes in the structure of chorioamniotic membrane in patients with malaria in pregnancy. Placenta 2021; 114:42-49. [PMID: 34425402 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria infection in pregnancy has adverse consequences for both fetal and maternal health. There is insufficient data on the effect malaria in pregnancy has on the structure of the chorioamniotic membrane. Our objective was to determine the structure of the chorioamniotic membrane in patients with malaria in pregnancy. METHODS Specimens of the chorioamniotic membrane from 58 women with malaria in pregnancy and 58 women without malaria in pregnancy were used for this study. Biopsies of the fetal membranes were obtained immediately after delivery and processed for light microscopy. They were stained using H & E. Photomicrographs were taken for morphological analysis and statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 23.0, Chicago, Illinois). The independent-sample t-test and odds ratios were used to compare the appropriate values between the two groups at a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS Photomicrographs of the chorioamniotic membrane showed histological alterations, including a change of amniotic epithelium to columnar and stratified types, epithelial delamination, extensive fibrin deposition, and leukocyte infiltration in women with malaria in pregnancy. Statistical analysis found significant differences in epithelial type (p-value 0.001, ×2 = 17.9), epithelial denudation (p-value <0.001, ×2 = 19.4) and extensive fibrin deposition (p-value of 0.02 and ×2 = 7.5) between the study groups. DISCUSSION This study has demonstrated histological alterations in the chorioamniotic membrane in association with malaria in pregnancy. Further studies may be conducted to characterize chorioamnionitis in malaria in pregnancy and associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Singoei
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi. P.O. Box 30197, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Moses Madadi Obimbo
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi. P.O. Box 30197, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Paul Ochieng Odula
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi. P.O. Box 30197, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Jesse Gitaka
- Directorate of Research and Innovation, Mount Kenya University. P.O. Box 342, 01000, Thika, Kenya.
| | - Ibsen Henric Ongidi
- Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi. P.O. Box 30197, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
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TLR4-Endothelin Axis Controls Syncytiotrophoblast Motility and Confers Fetal Protection in Placental Malaria. Infect Immun 2021; 89:e0080920. [PMID: 34061587 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00809-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy-associated malaria is often associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Placental circulatory impairments are an intriguing and unsolved component of malaria pathophysiology. Here, we uncovered a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-TRIF-endothelin axis that controls trophoblast motility and is linked to fetal protection during Plasmodium infection. In a cohort of 401 pregnancies from northern Brazil, we found that infection during pregnancy reduced expression of endothelin receptor B in syncytiotrophoblasts, while endothelin expression was only affected during acute infection. We further show that quantitative expression of placental endothelin and endothelin receptor B proteins are differentially controlled by maternal and fetal TLR4 alleles. Using murine malaria models, we identified placental autonomous responses to malaria infection mediated by fetally encoded TLR4 that not only controlled placental endothelin gene expression but also correlated with fetal viability protection. In vitro assays showed that control of endothelin expression in fetal syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes was dependent on TLR4 via the TRIF pathway but not MyD88 signaling. Time-lapse microscopy in syncytiotrophoblast primary cultures and cell invasion assays demonstrated that ablation of TLR4 or endothelin receptor blockade abrogates trophoblast collective motility and cell migration responses to infected erythrocytes. These results cohesively substantiate the hypothesis that fetal innate immune sensing, namely, the TRL4-TRIF pathway, exerts a fetal protective role during malaria infection by mediating syncytiotrophoblast vasoregulatory responses that counteract placental insufficiency.
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Omer SA, Sulaiman SM. The Placenta and Plasmodium Infections: a Case Study from Blue Nile State, Sudan. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-020-00214-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Moeller SL, Nyengaard JR, Larsen LG, Nielsen K, Bygbjerg IC, Msemo OA, Lusingu JPA, Minja DTR, Theander TG, Schmiegelow C. Malaria in Early Pregnancy and the Development of the Placental Vasculature. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1425-1434. [PMID: 30590576 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy malaria has a negative impact on fetal outcome. It is uncertain whether infections in early pregnancy have a clinical impact by impeding the development of the placental vasculature. METHODS Tanzanian women (n = 138) were closely monitored during pregnancy. Placentas collected at birth were investigated using stereology to establish the characteristics of placental villi and vessels. Placental vasculature measures were compared between women infected with malaria and controls. RESULTS Compared with controls, placentas from women infected with malaria before a gestational age (GA) of 15 weeks had a decreased volume of transport villi (mean decrease [standard deviation], 12.45 [5.39] cm3; P = .02), an increased diffusion distance in diffusion vessels (mean increase, 3.33 [1.27] µm; P = .01), and a compensatory increase in diffusion vessel surface area (mean increase, 1.81 [0.74 m2]; P = .02). In women who had malaria before a GA of 15 weeks diffusion vessel surface area and transport vessel length distance were positive predictors for birth weight (multilinear regression: P = .007 and P = .055 for diffusion surface area and transport length, respectively) and GA at delivery (P = .005 and P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Malaria infection in early pregnancy impedes placental vascular development. The resulting phenotypic changes, which can be detected at delivery, are associated with birth weight and gestational length. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT02191683.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jens R Nyengaard
- Core Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University
| | - Lise G Larsen
- Department of Pathology, Zealand University Hospital, Naestved, Denmark
| | | | - Ib C Bygbjerg
- Division of Global Health, Department of Public Health
| | | | - John P A Lusingu
- National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
| | | | - Thor G Theander
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Christentze Schmiegelow
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen
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Lancaster L, Barnes RFW, Correia M, Luis E, Boaventura I, Silva P, von Drygalski A. Maternal death and postpartum hemorrhage in sub-Saharan Africa - A pilot study in metropolitan Mozambique. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2020; 4:402-412. [PMID: 32211574 PMCID: PMC7086466 DOI: 10.1002/rth2.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 500 to 1000 per 100 000 births (vs. approximately 5-20 in developed countries). Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is deemed responsible for 30% to 50% of the deaths. OBJECTIVE To study PPH, risk factors, and mortality in metropolitan Mozambique to inform future studies and intervention strategies. MATERIALS/METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional data extraction from all charts available to us (n = 495) recording deliveries between January and June 2018 at Maputo Central Hospital. Data included age, maternal survival, HIV status, parity, delivery mode, complications, vital signs, laboratory values, and maternal/fetal data. PPH was determined by charted diagnosis, interventions for hemorrhaging, placental abruption, transfusion, or blood loss. Autopsy reports from all deceased patients (n = 35) were examined. RESULTS Median age was 29 years with 17% HIV prevalence. Risk factors for PPH (frequency, 12%) included parity (adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for 3+ versus nulliparity, 7.20 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.46-21.10), gestation length (AOR, 0.86; CI, 0.81-0.92 per week), and body temperature (AOR, 1.10; CI, 1.04-1.16 per 0.1°C). Maternal mortality was strongly associated with PPH (AOR, 5.22; 95% CI, 2.26-12.08) and HIV (AOR, 11.66; 95% CI, 4.72-28.78). Laboratory values (n = 241) were available from mothers experiencing complications (approximately 50%). Anemia (prevalence 54%) was a strong predictor of PPH with an inverse relationship between hemoglobin levels on admission (AOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50-0.77 per g/dL higher hemoglobin) and the probability of later suffering from PPH. Mothers who died following PPH had lower median hemoglobin (6.2 g/dL) than mothers who survived (9.2 g/dL). Protocols to estimate peripartum blood loss were not used; antifibrinolytics and/or cryoprecipitate were unavailable. CONCLUSION Postpartum hemorrhage is a serious problem even in metropolitan areas of sub-Saharan Africa, and anemia influenced bleeding and death substantially. To address this problem, it is critical to raise awareness and region-specific prevention and intervention protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Lancaster
- Department of MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Richard F. W. Barnes
- Department of MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Momade Correia
- Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Departments of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Hematology, Central Hospital of MaputoMaputoMozambique
| | - Elvira Luis
- Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Departments of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Hematology, Central Hospital of MaputoMaputoMozambique
| | - Ines Boaventura
- Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Departments of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Hematology, Central Hospital of MaputoMaputoMozambique
| | - Patricia Silva
- Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Departments of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Hematology, Central Hospital of MaputoMaputoMozambique
| | - Annette von Drygalski
- Department of MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
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Morffy Smith CD, Russ BN, Andrew AK, Cooper CA, Moore JM. A novel murine model for assessing fetal and birth outcomes following transgestational maternal malaria infection. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19566. [PMID: 31862902 PMCID: PMC6925284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55588-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy is a major cause of severe maternal illness and neonatal mortality. Mouse models are important for the study of gestational malaria pathogenesis. When infected with Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi AS in early gestation, several inbred mouse strains abort at midgestation. We report here that outbred Swiss Webster mice infected with P. chabaudi chabaudi AS in early gestation carry their pregnancies to term despite high parasite burden and malarial hemozoin accumulation in the placenta at midgestation, with the latter associated with induction of heme oxygenase 1 expression. Infection yields reduced fetal weight and viability at term and a reduction in pup number at weaning, but does not influence postnatal growth prior to weaning. This novel model allows for the exploration of malaria infection throughout pregnancy, modeling chronic infections observed in pregnant women prior to the birth of underweight infants and enabling the production of progeny exposed to malaria in utero, which is critical for understanding the postnatal repercussions of gestational malaria. The use of outbred mice allows for the exploration of gestational malaria in a genetically diverse model system, better recapitulating the diversity of infection responses observed in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine D Morffy Smith
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Brittany N Russ
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Alicer K Andrew
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Caitlin A Cooper
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Julie M Moore
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States. .,Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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Placental Structure in Preterm Birth Among HIV-Positive Versus HIV-Negative Women in Kenya. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 80:94-102. [PMID: 30272633 PMCID: PMC6289800 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Recent data suggest that in addition to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) increases the risk of PTB. As the mechanisms remain unexplored, we conducted this study to determine whether HIV and ART were associated with placental changes that could contribute to PTB. Setting: We collected and evaluated placentas from 38 HIV-positive women on ART and 43 HIV-negative women who had preterm deliveries in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: Anatomical features of the placentas were examined at gross and microscopic levels. Cases were matched for gestational age and compared by the investigators who were blinded to maternal HIV serostatus. Results: Among preterm placentas, HIV infection was significantly associated with thrombosis (P = 0.001), infarction (P = 0.032), anomalies in cord insertion (P = 0.02), gross evidence of membrane infection (P = 0.043), and reduced placental thickness (P = 0.010). Overall, preterm placentas in both groups were associated with immature villi, syncytial knotting, villitis, and deciduitis. Features of HIV-positive versus HIV-negative placentas included significant fibrinoid deposition with villus degeneration, syncytiotrophoblast delamination, red blood cell adhesion, hypervascularity, and reduction in both surface area and perimeter of the terminal villi. Conclusions: These results imply that HIV infection and/or ART are associated with morphological changes in preterm placentas that contribute to delivery before 37 weeks. Hypervascularity suggests that the observed pathologies may be attributable, in part, to hypoxia. Further research to explore potential mechanisms will help elucidate the pathways that are involved perhaps pointing to interventions for decreasing the risk of prematurity among HIV-positive women.
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Cotransmission of Malaria and HIV to Infants of Mothers Coinfected With Malaria and HIV in the HAART Era in Benin City, Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 79:255-260. [PMID: 30211777 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria and HIV are vertically transmitted to infants. In an era where specific interventions are available to reduce the burden of malaria in pregnancy and vertical transmission of HIV, we examined the transmission and cotransmission of HIV and malaria to infants of mothers coinfected with malaria and HIV. METHODS A cross-sectional analytic study performed on 101 HIV/malaria-coinfected mothers and their infants for whom DNA polymerase chain reaction results were available. Blood film for malaria parasites was performed on cord blood and peripheral blood on days 1, 3, and 7 in the newborns. Maternal peripheral blood film for malaria parasite was performed at delivery, and placental tissue was obtained for confirmation of placental malaria by histology. All infants received DNA polymerase chain reaction testing for HIV at 6-8 weeks of life. RESULTS Cotransmission of malaria and HIV occurred in 2 (1.98%) infants. Vertical transmission of HIV occurred in 7 (7%) babies, whereas congenital malaria was present in 32 (31.7%) babies. The transmission of HIV and presence of congenital malaria were not significantly associated with each other P = 1.000. Of the 88 babies of mothers who commenced highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) before pregnancy, 5 (5.7^) had HIV, which was significantly less than 2 (40%) of 5 babies of mothers who commenced HAART during pregnancy P = 0.04. CONCLUSIONS Among mothers coinfected with malaria and HIV, vertical transmission of malaria and HIV was not associated with each other. HAART reduces vertical transmission of HIV especially if started before pregnancy.
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Efficient transplacental IgG transfer in women infected with Zika virus during pregnancy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007648. [PMID: 31449521 PMCID: PMC6730934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly-identified infectious cause of congenital disease. Transplacental transfer of maternal IgG to the fetus plays an important role in preventing many neonatal infections. However, antibody transfer may also have negative consequences, such as mediating enhancement of flavivirus infections in early life, or trafficking of virus immune complexes to the fetal compartment. ZIKV infection produces placental pathology which could lead to impaired IgG transfer efficiency as occurs in other maternal infections, such as HIV-1 and malaria. In this study, we asked whether ZIKV infection during pregnancy impairs transplacental transfer of IgG. We enrolled pregnant women with fever or rash in a prospective cohort in Vitoria, Brazil during the recent ZIKV epidemic. ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV)-specific IgG, ZIKV and DENV neutralizing antibodies, and routine vaccine antigen-specific IgG were measured in maternal samples collected around delivery and 20 paired cord blood samples. We concluded that 8 of these mothers were infected with ZIKV during pregnancy and 12 were ZIKV-uninfected. The magnitude of flavivirus-specific IgG, neutralizing antibody, and vaccine-elicited IgG were highly correlated between maternal plasma and infant cord blood in both ZIKV-infected and -uninfected mother-infant pairs. Moreover, there was no difference in the magnitude of plasma flavivirus-specific IgG levels between mothers and infants regardless of ZIKV infection status. Our data suggests that maternal ZIKV infection during pregnancy does not impair the efficiency of placental transfer of flavivirus-specific, functional, and vaccine-elicited IgG. These findings have implications for the neonatal outomes of maternal ZIKV infection and optimal administration of antibody-based ZIKV vaccines and therapeutics.
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Weckman AM, Ngai M, Wright J, McDonald CR, Kain KC. The Impact of Infection in Pregnancy on Placental Vascular Development and Adverse Birth Outcomes. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1924. [PMID: 31507551 PMCID: PMC6713994 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy fetal development is dependent on nutrient and oxygen transfer via the placenta. Optimal growth and function of placental vasculature is therefore essential to support in utero development. Vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels, and angiogenesis, the branching and remodeling of existing vasculature, mediate the development and maturation of placental villi, which form the materno-fetal interface. Several lines of evidence indicate that systemic maternal infection and consequent inflammation can disrupt placental vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. The resulting alterations in placental hemodynamics impact fetal growth and contribute to poor birth outcomes including preterm delivery, small-for-gestational age (SGA), stillbirth, and low birth weight (LBW). Furthermore, pathways involved in maternal immune activation and placental vascularization parallel those involved in normal fetal development, notably neurovascular development. Therefore, immune-mediated disruption of angiogenic pathways at the materno-fetal interface may also have long-term neurological consequences for offspring. Here, we review current literature evaluating the influence of maternal infection and immune activation at the materno-fetal interface and the subsequent impact on placental vascular function and birth outcome. Immunomodulatory pathways, including chemokines and cytokines released in response to maternal infection, interact closely with the principal pathways regulating placental vascular development, including the angiopoietin-Tie-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and placental growth factor (PlGF) pathways. A detailed mechanistic understanding of how maternal infections impact placental and fetal development is critical to the design of effective interventions to promote placental growth and function and thereby reduce adverse birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Weckman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Ngai
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie Wright
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chloe R McDonald
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Abstract
One hundred twenty-five million pregnant women are at risk for contracting malaria, a preventable cause of maternal and infant morbidity and death. Malaria parasites contribute to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes due to their preferential accumulation in placental intervillous spaces. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria infections, and malaria infections during pregnancy put their fetuses at risk. Malaria in pregnancy is associated with anemia, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal and fetal death. We review the challenges to diagnosing malaria in pregnancy, as well as strategies to prevent and treat malaria in pregnancy. Finally, we discuss the current gaps in knowledge and potential areas for continued research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Bauserman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
| | - Andrea L Conroy
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Krysten North
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jackie Patterson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Carl Bose
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Steve Meshnick
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gilligns School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
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Clark RL. Genesis of placental sequestration in malaria and possible targets for drugs for placental malaria. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:569-583. [PMID: 30919596 PMCID: PMC7432169 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Malaria during pregnancy results in intrauterine growth restriction, fetal anemia, and infant mortality. Women are more susceptible to malaria during pregnancy due to malaria‐induced inflammation and the sequestration of infected red blood cells in the placenta, which bind to the chondroitin sulfate portion of syndecan‐1 on the syncytiotrophoblast and in the intervillous space. Syndecan‐1 is a dimeric proteoglycan with an extracellular ectodomain that is cleaved from the transmembrane domain (referred to as “shedding”) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), likely the secreted MMP‐9. The ectodomain includes four binding sites for chondroitin sulfate, which are proximal to the transmembrane domain, and six distal binding sites primarily for heparan sulfate. This “shedding” of syndecan‐1 is inhibited by the presence of the heparan sulfate chains, which can be removed by heparanase. The intervillous space contains fibrin strands and syndecan‐1 ectodomains free of heparan sulfate. The following is proposed as the sequence of events that leads to and is primarily responsible for sequestration in the intervillous space of the placenta. Inflammation associated with malaria triggers increased heparanase activity that degrades the heparan sulfate on the membrane‐bound syndecan‐1. Inflammation also upregulates MMP‐9 and the removal of heparan sulfate gives MMP‐9 access to cleave syndecan‐1, thereby releasing dimeric syndecan‐1 ectodomains with at least four chondroitin sulfate chains attached. These multivalent ectodomains bind infected RBCs together leading to their aggregation and entrapment in intervillous fibrin. This mechanism suggests possible new targets for anti‐placental malaria drugs such as the inhibition of MMP‐9. Doxycycline is an antimalarial drug which inhibits MMP‐9.
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The Impact of Plasmodium Infection on Placental Histomorphology: A Stereological Preliminary Study. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2019; 2019:2094560. [PMID: 30940990 PMCID: PMC6421040 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2094560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria during pregnancy may threaten the mother's health and cause serious structural damage to the internal architecture of the placenta, which subsequently affects the pregnancy outcome. A better understanding of the impact of malaria parasites on the placenta morphology is crucial for better management of pregnant women and their babies. Aim To assess by stereology the histomorphology of selected placental structures in placenta malaria compared with normal placentae at term. Method A total of 10 placentae comprising 5 controls and 5 cases were selected from 50 placentae that were collected at term (38 weeks ± 2 weeks) from the maternal delivery suit of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Blood from the placentae was collected for both rapid diagnostic test and microscopic examinations. Samples collected were examined for Plasmodium parasites, after which they were classified as study group (Plasmodium positive) or control (Plasmodium negative). Stereological quantification using systematic uniform random sampling technique with test point and intersection counting of photomicrographs were employed to estimate the mean volume densities of syncytial knots, syncytial necrosis, foetal capillaries, and intervillous spaces of the placentae on a total of 1,600 photomicrographs. Results Out of the fifty placental samples from the maternal side tested for Plasmodium, six representing 12% were found to be infected with the parasite by both rapid diagnostic test and microscopy. On stereological assessment, the mean volume density of syncytial knots was significantly higher in the placental malaria group compared with the control placentae at term (P = 0.0080), but foetal capillaries (P = 0.7813), intervillous spaces (P = 0.8078), and syncytial necrosis (P = 0.8249) were not significantly different. Conclusion This preliminary result indicates that placental malaria may cause significant increase in the syncytial knots but not foetal capillaries, intervillous spaces, or syncytial necrosis. This finding signifies early maturation of the placenta and may be crucial in understanding perinatal outcomes.
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Rogerson SJ, Desai M, Mayor A, Sicuri E, Taylor SM, van Eijk AM. Burden, pathology, and costs of malaria in pregnancy: new developments for an old problem. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018; 18:e107-e118. [PMID: 29396010 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(18)30066-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 10 years, knowledge of the burden, economic costs, and consequences of malaria in pregnancy has improved, and the prevalence of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum has declined substantially in some geographical areas. In particular, studies outside of Africa have increased the evidence base of Plasmodium vivax in pregnancy. Rapid diagnostic tests have been poor at detecting malaria in pregnant women, while PCR has shown a high prevalence of low density infection, the clinical importance of which is unknown. Erythrocytes infected with P falciparum that express the surface protein VAR2CSA accumulate in the placenta, and VAR2CSA is an important target of protective immunity. Clinical trials for a VAR2CSA vaccine are ongoing, but sequence variation needs to be carefully studied. Health system and household costs still limit access to prevention and treatment services. Within the context of malaria elimination, pregnant women could be used to monitor malaria transmission. This Series paper summarises recent progress and highlights unresolved issues related to the burden of malaria in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Medicine at the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Meghna Desai
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Elisa Sicuri
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Health Economics Group, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Steve M Taylor
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anna M van Eijk
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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McLean ARD, Stanisic D, McGready R, Chotivanich K, Clapham C, Baiwog F, Pimanpanarak M, Siba P, Mueller I, King CL, Nosten F, Beeson JG, Rogerson S, Simpson JA, Fowkes FJI. P. falciparum infection and maternofetal antibody transfer in malaria-endemic settings of varying transmission. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186577. [PMID: 29028827 PMCID: PMC5640245 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction During pregnancy, immunoglobulin G (IgG) is transferred from the mother to the fetus, providing protection from disease in early infancy. Plasmodium falciparum infections may reduce maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency, but mechanisms remain unclear. Methods Mother-cord paired serum samples collected at delivery from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Thailand-Myanmar Border Area (TMBA) were tested for IgG1 and IgG3 to four P. falciparum antigens and measles antigen, as well as total serum IgG. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to assess the association of peripheral P. falciparum infection during pregnancy or placental P. falciparum infection assessed at delivery with maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency. Path analysis assessed the extent to which associations between P. falciparum infection and antibody transfer were mediated by gestational age at delivery or levels of maternal total serum IgG. Results Maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency of IgG1 and IgG3 was lower in PNG compared to TMBA (mean difference in cord antibody levels (controlling for maternal antibody levels) ranged from -0.88 to 0.09, median of -0.20 log2 units). Placental P. falciparum infections were associated with substantially lower maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency in PNG primigravid women (mean difference in cord antibody levels (controlling for maternal antibody levels) ranged from -0.62 to -0.10, median of -0.36 log2 units), but not multigravid women. The lower antibody transfer efficiency amongst primigravid women with placental infection was only partially mediated by gestational age at delivery (proportion indirect effect ranged from 0% to 18%), whereas no mediation effects of maternal total serum IgG were observed. Discussion Primigravid women may be at risk of impaired maternofetal antibody transport with placental P. falciparum infection. Direct effects of P. falciparum on the placenta, rather than earlier gestational age and elevated serum IgG, are likely responsible for the majority of the reduction in maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency with placental infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair R. D. McLean
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Danielle Stanisic
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rose McGready
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kesinee Chotivanich
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Caroline Clapham
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Francesca Baiwog
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Mupawjay Pimanpanarak
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Peter Siba
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health & Immunity Division, WEHI, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Malaria: Parasites & Hosts Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher L. King
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - François Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James G. Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen Rogerson
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Julie A. Simpson
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Freya J. I. Fowkes
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Totino PR, Lopes SC. Insights into the Cytoadherence Phenomenon of Plasmodium vivax: The Putative Role of Phosphatidylserine. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1148. [PMID: 28979260 PMCID: PMC5611623 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread and the dominant human malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa and, although it was classically recognized to cause benign infection, severe cases and deaths caused by P. vivax have remarkably been reported. In contrast to Plasmodium falciparum, which well-known ability to bind to endothelium and placental tissue and form rosettes is related to severity of the disease, it has been a dogma that P. vivax is unable to undergo cytoadherent phenomena. However, some studies have demonstrated that red blood cells (RBCs) infected by P. vivax can cytoadhere to host cells, while the molecules participating in this host–parasite interaction are still a matter of speculation. In the present overview, we address the evidences currently supporting the adhesive profile of P. vivax and, additionally, discuss the putative role of phosphatidylserine—a cell membrane phospholipid with cytoadhesive properties that has been detected on the surface of Plasmodium-parasitized RBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Renato Totino
- Laboratory of Malaria Research, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Submicroscopic and Asymptomatic Congenital Infection by Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum in Colombia: 37 Cases with Placental Histopathology and Cytokine Profile in Maternal and Placental Blood. J Trop Med 2017; 2017:3680758. [PMID: 28458694 PMCID: PMC5387836 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3680758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Problem. Congenital plasmodial infection (CPI) is a rare event, which has been little studied in Colombia. Objective. To measure the frequency of CPI and to describe the immune and histological characteristics in maternal blood and placentas when CPI occurs. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was carried out in northwest Colombia. A sample size of 39 unit analysis (a unit of analysis corresponds to the cord, placenta, and peripheral blood of a pregnant woman) was calculated using epidemiological and statistical parameters. Thick blood smear (TBS) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used as diagnostic tests. Results and Conclusions. A total of 137 parturient women were studied. All cases of CPI were submicroscopic (TBS negative and qPCR positive) and asymptomatic infections. If the definition of CPI considers only detection of parasites in umbilical cord blood, regardless of what was found in peripheral or placental blood, the frequency of CPI was 27%. However, if that definition is stricter and includes simultaneous detection of parasites in maternal or placental blood with the same species, the frequency of CPI in this study was 13%.
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Gueneuc A, Deloron P, Bertin GI. Usefulness of a biomarker to identify placental dysfunction in the context of malaria. Malar J 2017; 16:11. [PMID: 28049536 PMCID: PMC5209802 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1664-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In most tropical areas, pregnant women are at increased risk of malaria, as a consequence of the massive sequestration of parasitized red blood cells in the placenta. The placenta plays a key role in embryonic and fetal development as well as in maternal-fetal exchanges, and pregnancy-associated malaria may alter selected placenta functions that lead to stillbirth and low birth weight. Although there are several tools (blood smear examination, RDT, PCR) to diagnose malaria infection during pregnancy, there is currently no test to assess placenta dysfunction in the framework of pregnancy-associated malaria. Pregnancy-associated malaria shares many features with preeclampsia, an extensively studied disease. Various biomarkers associated with placental dysfunction have been identified as associated with preeclampsia. Several of these are inflammatory markers that lack of specificity. A few seem more specific of placenta dysfunction, including s-endoglin and sFlt1, increased in the peripheral blood during preeclampsia. The predictive value of these biomarkers should be studied in the context of pregnancy-associated malaria to evaluate their usefulness in identifying placental dysfunction during malaria. These biomarkers should be considered to improve the diagnosis of placental dysfunction during malaria and pregnant women monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gueneuc
- Institute of Research for Development (IRD), UMR216-MERIT, Paris, France.,ComUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine Department, Necker-Enfants-Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Deloron
- Institute of Research for Development (IRD), UMR216-MERIT, Paris, France.,ComUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,DHU Risks in Pregnancy, Paris, France
| | - Gwladys I Bertin
- Institute of Research for Development (IRD), UMR216-MERIT, Paris, France. .,ComUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France. .,DHU Risks in Pregnancy, Paris, France.
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Datta M, Biswas J, Dasgupta S, Banerjee K, Choudhury S, Sengupta SK, Das P. Comparative Study on Antenatal and Perinatal Outcome of Vivax and Falciparum Malaria in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Kolkata, India. J Clin Diagn Res 2017; 11:QC01-QC04. [PMID: 28274003 DOI: 10.7860/jcdr/2017/23051.9195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria occurring in pregnancy is associated with considerable maternal and perinatal morbidity. In India, the problem is compounded by dual parasitological aetiology of Plasmodiumvivax (P.vivax) and Plasmodium falciparum (P.falciparum). AIM To compare the outcome of infections by P. vivax and P.falciparum species among pregnant women in a hospital setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pregnant women who tested positive for malaria either by microscopy of peripheral blood smear or ELISA test for double antigen were enrolled in the study. They were followed up till their delivery and discharge from hospital. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data was collected at enrolment, on event of complication and at delivery. Data was analyzed for univariate and multivariate associations. RESULTS There were 64 pregnant women diagnosed with malaria. A total of 76.6% study subjects had vivax infection rest were infected with p. falciparum. Anaemia (84%) was the commonest complication. A total of 60.9% women had pathological placenta. Preterm delivery, low birth weight and Apgar score <7 were the adverse pregnancy outcomes which were more frequent with falciparum infection. There were three perinatal deaths. Multigravidas were at significantly higher risk for low birth weight and low Apgar score of newborn. Infection in later trimester was associated with low Apgar score. CONCLUSION Both types of malaria cause considerable morbidity in pregnant women. More cases occurred among primigravida but multigravida and later trimester of pregnancy had more severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousumi Datta
- Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Jhuma Biswas
- Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bankura Sammilani Medical College , Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Shyamal Dasgupta
- Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, R.G Kar Medical College , Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Kaushik Banerjee
- Medical Officer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hooghly District Hospital , Hooghly, West Bengal, India
| | - Subhendu Choudhury
- Clinical Tutor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, IPGMER , Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sandip Kumar Sengupta
- Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, North Bengal Medical College , Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
| | - Prakash Das
- Senior Resident, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, RG Kar Medical College , Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Plasmodium vivax malaria among pregnant women in Eastern Sudan. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(15)61058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Yallapragada SG, Mestan KK, Palac H, Porta N, Gotteiner N, Hamvas A, Grobman W, Ernst LM. Placental Villous Vascularity Is Decreased in Premature Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2016; 19:101-7. [PMID: 26366786 DOI: 10.2350/15-05-1646-oa.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious complication of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) among infants born at extremely low gestational ages. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated PH is characterized by persistent pulmonary vasoconstriction, progressive right heart dysfunction, and an increased risk of death. We have shown previously that certain placental vascular lesions are associated with BPD-associated PH. Further evaluation of the villous and vascular morphometry of these placentas is warranted. Using digital image analysis (DIA), we compared villous and vascular morphometric parameters of placentas from infants with and without BPD-associated PH. We conducted a case-control study of placentas from 14 infants born at ≤28 weeks' gestational age (GA). Cases with PH (N=7) and non-PH controls (N=7) were identified using echocardiogram screening at 36 weeks' corrected GA. Central parenchymal sections from each placenta were stained for CD31. Digital image analysis was used to measure vessel and villous capillary number, perimeter, diameter, and area. Mean villous vascularity (number of vessels per villus) was calculated for each patient. Mean vessel and villous number as well as area were similar between the two groups. Villous vascularity was decreased in placentas from infants who ultimately had PH disease compared to non-PH controls (5.5±1.0 vs 7.1±1.6; P<0.05). Placental villous vascularity is decreased in infants with BPD-associated PH. Further studies should assess whether placental morphometric markers may allow clinicians to better predict BPD and provide earlier and more targeted management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmita G Yallapragada
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Karen K Mestan
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hannah Palac
- 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicolas Porta
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nina Gotteiner
- 3 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aaron Hamvas
- 1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - William Grobman
- 4 Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Linda M Ernst
- 5 Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Ruizendaal E, van Leeuwen E, Mens PF. Peripheral and placental biomarkers in women with placental malaria: a systematic review. Biomark Med 2015; 9:217-39. [PMID: 25731209 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.14.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Placental malaria (PM) causes significant morbidity in mothers and infants. Diagnosis of PM during pregnancy is however problematic due to placental sequestration of parasites. Host biomarkers may therefore be used as a diagnostic method. In this systematic review most studies focused on inflammatory markers. A trend was observed for increased IL-10 and TNF-α in PM positives. These markers are however unspecific, thus a combination of multiple biomarkers involved in different pathophysiological pathways of PM is indicated. Of interest are inflammatory markers (TNF-R2, CXCL-13), markers of lipid metabolism (APO-B), angiogenesis (sFlt-1) and hormones (estradiol). As the majority of published studies tested biomarker levels only at delivery, more longitudinal cohort studies will be necessary to detect biomarkers during pregnancy that can predict PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmée Ruizendaal
- KIT Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Syncytiotrophoblast Functions and Fetal Growth Restriction during Placental Malaria: Updates and Implication for Future Interventions. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:451735. [PMID: 26587536 PMCID: PMC4637467 DOI: 10.1155/2015/451735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Syncytiotrophoblast lines the intervillous space of the placenta and plays important roles in fetus growth throughout gestation. However, perturbations at the maternal-fetal interface during placental malaria may possibly alter the physiological functions of syncytiotrophoblast and therefore growth and development of the embryo in utero. An understanding of the influence of placental malaria on syncytiotrophoblast function is paramount in developing novel interventions for the control of placental pathology associated with placental malaria. In this review, we discuss how malaria changes syncytiotrophoblast function as evidenced from human, animal, and in vitro studies and, further, how dysregulation of syncytiotrophoblast function may impact fetal growth in utero. We also formulate a hypothesis, stemming from epidemiological observations, that nutrition may override pathogenesis of placental malaria-associated-fetal growth restriction. We therefore recommend studies on nutrition-based-interventional approaches for high placental malaria-risk women in endemic areas. More investigations on the role of nutrition on placental malaria pathogenesis are needed.
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McLEAN ARD, ATAIDE R, SIMPSON JA, BEESON JG, FOWKES FJI. Malaria and immunity during pregnancy and postpartum: a tale of two species. Parasitology 2015; 142:999-1015. [PMID: 25731914 PMCID: PMC4453920 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015000074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that pregnant women are at an increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection when compared to non-pregnant individuals and limited epidemiological data suggest Plasmodium vivax risk also increases with pregnancy. The risk of P. falciparum declines with successive pregnancies due to the acquisition of immunity to pregnancy-specific P. falciparum variants. However, despite similar declines in P. vivax risk with successive pregnancies, there is a paucity of evidence P. vivax-specific immunity. Cross-species immunity, as well as immunological and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy may influence the susceptibility to both P. vivax and P. falciparum. The period following delivery, the postpartum period, is relatively understudied and available epidemiological data suggests that it may also be a period of increased risk of infection to Plasmodium spp. Here we review the literature and directly compare and contrast the epidemiology, clinical pathogenesis and immunological features of P. vivax and P. falciparum in pregnancy, with a particular focus on studies performed in areas co-endemic for both species. Furthermore, we review the intriguing epidemiology literature of both P. falciparum and P. vivax postpartum and relate observations to the growing literature pertaining to malaria immunology in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. R. D. McLEAN
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute of Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - R. ATAIDE
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute of Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - J. A. SIMPSON
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - J. G. BEESON
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute of Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - F. J. I. FOWKES
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute of Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
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Malaria in Pregnancy Interacts with and Alters the Angiogenic Profiles of the Placenta. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003824. [PMID: 26090803 PMCID: PMC4475015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria in pregnancy remains a substantial public health problem in malaria-endemic areas with detrimental outcomes for both the mother and the foetus. The placental changes that lead to some of these detrimental outcomes have been studied, but the mechanisms that lead to these changes are still not fully elucidated. There is some indication that imbalances in cytokine cascades, complement activation and angiogenic dysregulation might be involved in the placental changes observed. Nevertheless, the majority of studies on malaria in pregnancy (MiP) have come from areas where malaria transmission is high and usually restricted to Plasmodium falciparum, the most pathogenic of the malaria parasite species. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre state, Brazil, an area of low transmission and where both P. vivax and P. falciparum circulate. We collected peripheral and placental blood and placental biopsies, at delivery from 137 primigravid women and measured levels of the angiogenic factors angiopoietin (Ang)-1, Ang-2, their receptor Tie-2, and several cytokines and chemokines. We measured 4 placental parameters (placental weight, syncytial knots, placental barrier thickness and mononuclear cells) and associated these with the levels of angiogenic factors and cytokines. In this study, MiP was not associated with severe outcomes. An increased ratio of peripheral Tie-2:Ang-1 was associated with the occurrence of MiP. Both Ang-1 and Ang-2 had similar magnitudes but inverse associations with placental barrier thickness. Malaria in pregnancy is an effect modifier of the association between Ang-1 and placental barrier thickness.
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Heidari Z, Sakhavar N, Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb H, Ezazi-Bojnourdi T. Stereological analysis of human placenta in cases of placenta previa in comparison with normally implanted controls. J Reprod Infertil 2015; 16:90-5. [PMID: 25927025 PMCID: PMC4386091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Placenta previa (PP) is an obstetric complication that can affect maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Its prevalence is rising due to cesarean sections. There is no quantitative data of placenta in PP. In this study, quantitative parameters of placenta in cases with PP in comparison with normally implanted controls were investigated. METHODS In this quasi experimental study, placentas from pregnancies with PP and normally implanted controls (n = 10) were obtained from women who underwent cesarean section. Three full-thickness columns of each placenta were sampled using systematic uniform random sampling (SURS). Columns were cut into slices and slices were sectioned with 4 µm thickness. SURS selected sections were stained by Masson's trichrome. Stereological analysis was done on 8-10 SURS microscopic fields of each section. Absolute volume and volume density of chorionic villi, intervillous space, syncytiotrophoblast, fibrin and blood vessels in chorionic villi were estimated in both groups. Statistical analysis was done using Mann Whitney-U test and significant level was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in total volume and volume density of fibrin deposits on the surface of chorionic villi (p < 0.05), and a significant increment in total volume and volume density of chorionic villous blood vessels in PP group in comparison with C group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Results showed that impairment in situation of implantation in PP can cause significant changes in the structure of placenta. These changes probably can be influential on the evolution and survival of fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Heidari
- Genetic of Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Nahid Sakhavar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb
- Genetic of Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Tahmine Ezazi-Bojnourdi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran,Corresponding Author: Tahmine Ezazi-Bojnourdi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. E-mail:
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Mother-to-Children Plasmodium falciparum Asymptomatic Malaria Transmission at Saint Camille Medical Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Malar Res Treat 2014; 2014:390513. [PMID: 25506464 PMCID: PMC4259075 DOI: 10.1155/2014/390513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Malaria's prevalence during pregnancy varies widely in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of mother-to-child malaria transmission during childbirth at St. Camille Medical Centre in the city of Ouagadougou. Methods. Two hundred and thirty-eight (238) women and their newborns were included in the study. Women consenting to participate in this study responded to a questionnaire that identified their demographic characteristics. Asymptomatic malaria infection was assessed by rapid detection test Acon (Acon Malaria Pf, San Diego, USA) and by microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thick and thin smears from peripheral, placental, and umbilical cord blood. Birth weights were recorded and the biological analyses of mothers and newborns' blood were also performed. Results. The utilization of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) were 86.6% and 84.4%, respectively. The parasitic infection rates of 9.5%, 8.9%, and 2.8% were recorded, respectively, for the peripheral, placental, and umbilical cord blood. Placental infection was strongly associated with the presence of parasites in the maternal peripheral blood and a parasite density of >1000 parasites/µL. Conclusion. The prevalence of congenital malaria was reduced but was associated with a high rate of mother-to-child malaria transmission.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chemotherapy of malaria has become a rapidly changing field. Less than two decades ago, treatment regimens were increasingly bound to fail due to emerging drug resistance against 4-aminoquinolines and sulfa compounds. By now, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) constitute the standard of care for uncomplicated falciparum malaria and are increasingly also taken into consideration for the treatment of non-falciparum malaria. AREAS COVERED This narrative review provides an overview of the state-of-art antimalarial drug therapy, highlights the global portfolio of current Phase III/IV clinical trials and summarizes current developments. EXPERT OPINION Malaria chemotherapy remains a dynamic field, with novel drugs and drug combinations continuing to emerge in order to outpace the development of large-scale drug resistance against the currently most important drug class, the artemisinin derivatives. More randomized controlled studies are urgently needed especially for the treatment of malaria in first trimester pregnant women. ACTs should be used for the treatment of imported malaria more consequently. Gaining sufficient efficacy and safety information on ACT use for non-falciparum species including Plasmodium ovale and malariae should be a research priority. Continuous investment into malaria drug development is a vital factor to combat artemisinin resistance and successfully improve malaria control toward the ultimate goal of elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Visser
- University of Amsterdam, Academic Medical Centre, Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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