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Baines KJ, West RC. Sex differences in innate and adaptive immunity impact fetal, placental, and maternal health†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:256-270. [PMID: 37418168 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The differences between males and females begin shortly after birth, continue throughout prenatal development, and eventually extend into childhood and adult life. Male embryos and fetuses prioritize proliferation and growth, often at the expense of the fetoplacental energy reserves. This singular focus on growth over adaptability leaves male fetuses and neonates vulnerable to adverse outcomes during pregnancy and birth and can have lasting impacts throughout life. Beyond this prioritization of growth, male placentas and fetuses also respond to infection and inflammation differently than female counterparts. Pregnancies carrying female fetuses have a more regulatory immune response, whereas pregnancies carrying male fetuses have a stronger inflammatory response. These differences can be seen as early as the innate immune response with differences in cytokine and chemokine signaling. The sexual dimorphism in immunity then continues into the adaptive immune response with differences in T-cell biology and antibody production and transfer. As it appears that these sex-specific differences are amplified in pathologic pregnancies, it stands to reason that differences in the placental, fetal, and maternal immune responses in pregnancy contribute to increased male perinatal morbidity and mortality. In this review, we will describe the genetic and hormonal contributions to the sexual dimorphism of fetal and placental immunity. We will also discuss current research efforts to describe the sex-specific differences of the maternal-fetal interface and how it impacts fetal and maternal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Baines
- Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rachel C West
- Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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Unger HW, Hadiprodjo AJ, Gutman JR, Briand V, Fievet N, Valea I, Tinto H, D'Alessandro U, Landis SH, Ter Kuile F, Ouma P, Oneko M, Mwapasa V, Slutsker L, Terlouw DJ, Kariuki S, Ayisi J, Nahlen B, Desai M, Madanitsa M, Kalilani-Phiri L, Ashorn P, Maleta K, Tshefu-Kitoto A, Mueller I, Stanisic D, Cates J, Van Eijk AM, Ome-Kaius M, Aitken EH, Rogerson SJ. Fetal sex and risk of pregnancy-associated malaria in Plasmodium falciparum-endemic regions: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10310. [PMID: 37365258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37431-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In areas of moderate to intense Plasmodium falciparum transmission, malaria in pregnancy remains a significant cause of low birth weight, stillbirth, and severe anaemia. Previously, fetal sex has been identified to modify the risks of maternal asthma, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. One study demonstrated increased risk of placental malaria in women carrying a female fetus. We investigated the association between fetal sex and malaria in pregnancy in 11 pregnancy studies conducted in sub-Saharan African countries and Papua New Guinea through meta-analysis using log binomial regression fitted to a random-effects model. Malaria infection during pregnancy and delivery was assessed using light microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, and histology. Five studies were observational studies and six were randomised controlled trials. Studies varied in terms of gravidity, gestational age at antenatal enrolment and bed net use. Presence of a female fetus was associated with malaria infection at enrolment by light microscopy (risk ratio 1.14 [95% confidence interval 1.04, 1.24]; P = 0.003; n = 11,729). Fetal sex did not associate with malaria infection when other time points or diagnostic methods were used. There is limited evidence that fetal sex influences the risk of malaria infection in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger W Unger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anastasia Jessica Hadiprodjo
- Department of Medicine (RMH), Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie R Gutman
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Valerie Briand
- Université de Paris, UMR261, IRD, Paris, France
- Epicentre MSF, Paris, France
| | | | - Innocent Valea
- Unite de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de La Santé-DRCO, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
- Departement de Recherche Clinique, Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Halidou Tinto
- Unite de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de La Santé-DRCO, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
- Departement de Recherche Clinique, Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Umberto D'Alessandro
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Gambia
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Feiko Ter Kuile
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Peter Ouma
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Martina Oneko
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Victor Mwapasa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Laurence Slutsker
- Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Center for Malaria Control and Elimination, PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dianne J Terlouw
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Simon Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - John Ayisi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Meghna Desai
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Linda Kalilani-Phiri
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Per Ashorn
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department for Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Ivo Mueller
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Danielle Stanisic
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Jordan Cates
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Anna Maria Van Eijk
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Maria Ome-Kaius
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
| | - Elizabeth H Aitken
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Medicine (RMH), Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Ahmed I, Elmugabil A, Adam I, Almohaimeed A. The association between female newborn and placental malaria infection: A case-control study. Placenta 2023; 138:55-59. [PMID: 37196581 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are few published data on the influence of the sex of the fetus or the newborn on the rate of malaria infection. Moreover, the results of these studies are not conclusive. This study was conducted to investigate the association between sex of the newborn and placental malaria infection. METHODS A case-control study was conducted at Al Jabalian maternity hospital in central Sudan during the rainy and post rainy seasons from May to December 2020. The cases were women who had placental malaria, while the controls were subsequent women who had no placental malaria. A questionnaire was filled out by each woman in the case and control groups in order to gather demographic data as well as medical and obstetric history. Malaria was diagnosed using blood films. Logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS There were 678 women in each arm of the study. Compared with the women without placental malaria (controls), women with placental malaria had a significantly lower age and parity. A significantly higher number of the cases had delivered female newborns, 453 (66.8%) vs. 208 (30.7%), P < 0.001. In logistic regression, women with placental malaria: lived in rural areas, had low antenatal attendance, did not use bed nets, and had more female newborns (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 2.90, 95% CI = 2.08-4.04). DISCUSSION Women who delivered female were more likely to have placental malaria. Further research into the immunologic and biochemical parameters is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itedal Ahmed
- Department of Anatomy, Najran University, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Medicine, Gezira University, Sudan.
| | | | - Ishag Adam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Amani Almohaimeed
- Department of Statistic and Operation Research, College of Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
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Tadesse Boltena M, El-Khatib Z, Kebede AS, Asamoah BO, Yaw ASC, Kamara K, Constant Assogba P, Tadesse Boltena A, Adane HT, Hailemeskel E, Biru M. Malaria and Helminthic Co-Infection during Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5444. [PMID: 35564842 PMCID: PMC9101176 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria and helminthic co-infection during pregnancy causes fetomaternal haemorrhage and foetal growth retardation. This study determined the pooled burden of pregnancy malaria and helminthic co-infection in sub-Saharan Africa. CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were used to retrieve data from the literature, without restricting language and publication year. The Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies was used for quality assessment. STATA Version 14.0 was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The I2 statistics and Egger's test were used to test heterogeneity and publication bias. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence at a 95% confidence interval (CI). The review protocol has been registered in PROSPERO, with the number CRD42019144812. In total, 24 studies (n = 14,087 participants) were identified in this study. The pooled analysis revealed that 20% of pregnant women were co-infected by malaria and helminths in sub-Saharan Africa. The pooled prevalence of malaria and helminths were 33% and 35%, respectively. The most prevalent helminths were Hookworm (48%), Ascaris lumbricoides (37%), and Trichuris trichiura (15%). Significantly higher malaria and helminthic co-infection during pregnancy were observed. Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa must implement home-grown innovative solutions to underpin context-specific policies for the early initiation of effective intermittent preventive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyahil Tadesse Boltena
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia; (H.T.A.); (E.H.); (M.B.)
| | - Ziad El-Khatib
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
- World Health Programme, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, Canada
| | | | - Benedict Oppong Asamoah
- Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (B.O.A.); (A.T.B.)
| | - Appiah Seth Christopher Yaw
- Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 101, Ghana;
| | - Kassim Kamara
- Directorate of Health Security and Emergencies, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone;
| | - Phénix Constant Assogba
- Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi 526, Benin;
| | - Andualem Tadesse Boltena
- Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (B.O.A.); (A.T.B.)
| | - Hawult Taye Adane
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia; (H.T.A.); (E.H.); (M.B.)
| | - Elifaged Hailemeskel
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia; (H.T.A.); (E.H.); (M.B.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mulatu Biru
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa 1005, Ethiopia; (H.T.A.); (E.H.); (M.B.)
- Child and Family Health, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
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Bihoun B, Zango SH, Traoré-Coulibaly M, Valea I, Ravinetto R, Van Geertruyden JP, D'Alessandro U, Tinto H, Robert A. Age-modified factors associated with placental malaria in rural Burkina Faso. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:248. [PMID: 35331181 PMCID: PMC8951713 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-04568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria in pregnancy can result in placental infection with fetal implications. This study aimed at assessing placental malaria (PM) prevalence and its associated factors in a cohort of pregnant women with peripheral malaria and their offspring. METHOD The data were collected in the framework of a clinical trial on treatments for malaria in pregnant women . Placental malaria (PM) was diagnosed by histopathological detection of parasites and/or malaria pigment on placenta biopsies taken at delivery. Factors associated with PM were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS Out of 745 biopsies examined, PM was diagnosed in 86.8 % of women. Acute, chronic and past PM were retrieved in 11 (1.5 %), 170 (22.8 %), and 466 (62.6 %) women, respectively. A modifying effect was observed in the association of gravidity or anemia at the study start with pooled PM (presence of parasites and/or malaria pigment). In women under 30, gravidity ≤ 2 was associated with an increased prevalence of pooled PM but in women aged 30 years or more, gravidity was no more associated with pooled PM (OR 6.81, 95 % CI 3.18 - 14.60; and OR 0.52, 95 % CI 0.10 - 2.76, respectively). Anemia was associated with pooled PM in women under 30 (OR 1.96, 95 % CI 1.03 - 3.72) but not in women aged 30 years or more (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.31 - 1.49). Similarly, the association of gravidity with past-chronic PM depended also on age. A higher prevalence of active PM was observed in women under 30 presenting with symptomatic malaria (OR 3.79, 95 % CI 1.55 - 9.27), while there was no significant increase in the prevalence of active PM (presence of parasites only) in women with symptomatic malaria when aged 30 years or more (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.10 - 1.75). In women with chronic PM, the prevalence of low birth weight or prematurity was the highest (31.2 %) as compared with past PM or no PM. CONCLUSION Despite the rapid diagnosis and efficacious treatment of peripheral infection, the prevalence of placental malaria remained high in women with P. falciparum peripheral infection in Nanoro, especially in younger women This underlines the importance of preventive measures in this specific group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biébo Bihoun
- Unité de recherche clinique de Nanoro, Institut de recherche en science de la santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
| | - Serge Henri Zango
- Unité de recherche clinique de Nanoro, Institut de recherche en science de la santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso.,Pôle Epidémiologie et Biostatistiques, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maminata Traoré-Coulibaly
- Unité de recherche clinique de Nanoro, Institut de recherche en science de la santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Innocent Valea
- Unité de recherche clinique de Nanoro, Institut de recherche en science de la santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | - Umberto D'Alessandro
- MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Gambia
| | - Halidou Tinto
- Unité de recherche clinique de Nanoro, Institut de recherche en science de la santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Annie Robert
- Pôle Epidémiologie et Biostatistiques, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Migliore L, Nicolì V, Stoccoro A. Gender Specific Differences in Disease Susceptibility: The Role of Epigenetics. Biomedicines 2021; 9:652. [PMID: 34200989 PMCID: PMC8228628 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many complex traits or diseases, such as infectious and autoimmune diseases, cancer, xenobiotics exposure, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the outcome of vaccination, show a differential susceptibility between males and females. In general, the female immune system responds more efficiently to pathogens. However, this can lead to over-reactive immune responses, which may explain the higher presence of autoimmune diseases in women, but also potentially the more adverse effects of vaccination in females compared with in males. Many clinical and epidemiological studies reported, for the SARS-CoV-2 infection, a gender-biased differential response; however, the majority of reports dealt with a comparable morbidity, with males, however, showing higher COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Although gender differences in immune responses have been studied predominantly within the context of sex hormone effects, some other mechanisms have been invoked: cellular mosaicism, skewed X chromosome inactivation, genes escaping X chromosome inactivation, and miRNAs encoded on the X chromosome. The hormonal hypothesis as well as other mechanisms will be examined and discussed in the light of the most recent epigenetic findings in the field, as the concept that epigenetics is the unifying mechanism in explaining gender-specific differences is increasingly emerging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Migliore
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, Medical School, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.N.); (A.S.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vanessa Nicolì
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, Medical School, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.N.); (A.S.)
| | - Andrea Stoccoro
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, Medical School, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (V.N.); (A.S.)
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Kakuru A, Roh ME, Kajubi R, Ochieng T, Ategeka J, Ochokoru H, Nakalembe M, Clark TD, Ruel T, Staedke SG, Chandramohan D, Havlir DV, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Jagannathan P. Infant sex modifies associations between placental malaria and risk of malaria in infancy. Malar J 2020; 19:449. [PMID: 33272281 PMCID: PMC7713316 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03522-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Placental malaria (PM) has been associated with a higher risk of malaria during infancy. However, it is unclear whether this association is causal, and is modified by infant sex, and whether intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) can reduce infant malaria by preventing PM. Methods Data from a birth cohort of 656 infants born to HIV-uninfected mothers randomised to IPTp with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (DP) or Sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (SP) was analysed. PM was categorized as no PM, active PM (presence of parasites), mild-moderate past PM (> 0–20% high powered fields [HPFs] with pigment), or severe past PM (> 20% HPFs with pigment). The association between PM and incidence of malaria in infants stratified by infant sex was examined. Causal mediation analysis was used to test whether IPTp can impact infant malaria incidence via preventing PM. Results There were 1088 malaria episodes diagnosed among infants during 596.6 person years of follow-up. Compared to infants born to mothers with no PM, the incidence of malaria was higher among infants born to mothers with active PM (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 1.30, 95% CI 1.00–1.71, p = 0.05) and those born to mothers with severe past PM (aIRR 1.28, 95% CI 0.89–1.83, p = 0.18), but the differences were not statistically significant. However, when stratifying by infant sex, compared to no PM, severe past PM was associated a higher malaria incidence in male (aIRR 2.17, 95% CI 1.45–3.25, p < 0.001), but not female infants (aIRR 0.74, 95% CI 0.46–1.20, p = 0.22). There were no significant associations between active PM or mild-moderate past PM and malaria incidence in male or female infants. Male infants born to mothers given IPTp with DP had significantly less malaria in infancy than males born to mothers given SP, and 89.7% of this effect was mediated through prevention of PM. Conclusion PM may have more severe consequences for male infants, and interventions which reduce PM could mitigate these sex-specific adverse outcomes. More research is needed to better understand this sex-bias between PM and infant malaria risk. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02793622. Registered 8 June 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02793622
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Affiliation(s)
- Abel Kakuru
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. .,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, 2C Nakasero Hill Road, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Michelle E Roh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Richard Kajubi
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, 2C Nakasero Hill Road, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Teddy Ochieng
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, 2C Nakasero Hill Road, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John Ategeka
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, 2C Nakasero Hill Road, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Harriet Ochokoru
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, 2C Nakasero Hill Road, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Miriam Nakalembe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Tamara D Clark
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Theodore Ruel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | | | - Diane V Havlir
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Moses R Kamya
- School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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Abstract
Purpose of Review Placental malaria is the primary mechanism through which malaria in pregnancy causes adverse perinatal outcomes. This review summarizes recent work on the significance, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of placental malaria. Recent Findings Placental malaria, characterized by the accumulation of Plasmodium-infected red blood cells in the placental intervillous space, leads to adverse perinatal outcomes such as stillbirth, low birth weight, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational-age neonates. Placental inflammatory responses may be primary drivers of these complications. Associated factors contributing to adverse outcomes include maternal gravidity, timing of perinatal infection, and parasite burden. Summary Placental malaria is an important cause of adverse birth outcomes in endemic regions. The main strategy to combat this is intermittent preventative treatment in pregnancy; however, increasing drug resistance threatens the efficacy of this approach. There are studies dissecting the inflammatory response to placental malaria, alternative preventative treatments, and in developing a vaccine for placental malaria.
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Du J, Zheng WP, Feng YH. Clinical characteristics and efficacy evaluation of antiviral therapy in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2020; 28:813-818. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v28.i16.813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During pregnancy, decreased maternal liver blood supply and increased load metabolism make woman susceptible to hepatitis attack. Severe cases often develop liver failure, leading to coagulation mechanism abnormality, bleeding and infection, fetal distress, premature delivery, stillbirth, etc. Therefore, high attention to the treatment and management of pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the key to reducing the mother-to-child transmission of HBV, representing an important issue of concern for clinical medical personnel. Therefore, the early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis attack during pregnancy are particularly important.
AIM To observe the clinical characteristics of HBV in pregnant women and evaluate the efficacy of antiviral therapy.
METHODS A total of 180 pregnant women with chronic HBV infection who visited Yuyao Maternal and Child Health Center of Zhejiang Province from February 2017 to June 2019 were selected as study subjects. Liver function was tested every 4 to 12 wk during pregnancy, and HBV serum markers were checked to determine whether there was hepatitis attack during pregnancy. For those with a definite diagnosis, tibivudine was given orally at a dose of 600 mg once per day. The clinical characteristics, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV serum markers, and HBV DNA changes in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection were recorded. ALT recovery rate, HBV DNA and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative conversion rate, and HBeAg seroconversion rate after antiviral treatment at different time points during pregnancy were also recorded.
RESULTS Of the 180 pregnant women with chronic HBV infection included in this study, 48 (26.67%) had hepatitis attacks during pregnancy. The average age was 32.3 ± 2.4 years. The duration of hepatitis attacks ranged from 6 to 34 wk, with an average of 20.3 ± 7.8 wk. The mean value of ALT was 224.95 ± 19.6 U/L. Compared with pregnant women without hepatitis attack during pregnancy, ALT and HBV DNA changes were significant (P < 0.05), and hepatitis B surface antigen and HBeAg quantification were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). For hepatitis attacks during pregnancy, with the extension of treatment time, ALT recovery rate, HBV DNA negative conversion rate, HBeAg negative conversion rate, and HBeAg seroconversion rate had varying degrees of rise. Especially at 36 wk after treatment, the ALT recovery rate was 100.0%, HBV DNA negative conversion rate was 72.92%, HBeAg negative conversion rate was 41.67%, and HBeAg seroconversion rate was 37.5%, which were significantly higher than those at 6 wk, 12 wk, and 24 wk of treatment (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION Hepatitis attacks in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection usually occur in the second trimester.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Du
- Yuyao Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Yuyao 315400, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei-Ping Zheng
- Yuyao Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Yuyao 315400, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yin-Hong Feng
- Yuyao People's Hospital, Yuyao 315400, Zhejiang Province, China
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