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Ndayishimiye JC, Teg-Nefaah Tabong P. Spatial distribution and determinants of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy: a secondary data analysis of the 2019 Ghana malaria indicators survey. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:379. [PMID: 38769513 PMCID: PMC11103814 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06566-0] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal, foetal, and neonatal outcomes. To prevent malaria infection during pregnancy, the World Health Organization recommended the use of intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in addition to vector control strategies. Although Ghana's target is to ensure that all pregnant women receive at least three (optimal) doses of SP, the uptake of SP has remained low; between 2020 and 2022, only 60% of pregnant women received optimal SP during their most recent pregnancy. This study sought to map the geospatial distribution and identify factors associated with SP uptake during pregnancy in Ghana. METHODS Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey dataset. The data analysed were restricted to women aged 15-49 years who reported having a live birth within the two years preceding the survey. A modified Poisson regression model was used to determine factors associated with SP uptake during pregnancy. Geospatial analysis was employed to map the spatial distribution of optimal SP uptake across the ten regions of Ghana using R software. RESULTS The likelihood that pregnant women received optimal SP correlated with early initiation of first antenatal care (ANC), number of ANC contacts, woman's age, region of residence, and family size. Overall, the greater the number of ANC contacts, the more likely for pregnant women to receive optimal SP. Women with four or more ANC contacts were 2 times (aPR: 2.16; 95% CI: [1.34-3.25]) more likely to receive optimal SP than pregnant women with fewer than four ANC contacts. In addition, early initiation and a high number of ANC contacts were associated with a high number of times a pregnant woman received SP. Regarding spatial distribution, a high uptake of optimal SP was significantly observed in the Upper East and Upper West Regions, whereas the lowest was observed in the Eastern Region of Ghana. CONCLUSIONS In Ghana, there were regional disparities in the uptake of SP during pregnancy, with the uptake mainly correlated with the provision of ANC services. To achieve the country's target for malaria control during pregnancy, there is a need to strengthen intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy by prioritizing comprehensive ANC services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Claude Ndayishimiye
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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2
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Lee JJ, Kakuru A, Jacobson KB, Kamya MR, Kajubi R, Ranjit A, Gaw SL, Parsonnet J, Benjamin-Chung J, Dorsey G, Jagannathan P, Roh ME. Monthly Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine During Pregnancy Prevents Febrile Respiratory Illnesses: A Secondary Analysis of a Malaria Chemoprevention Trial in Uganda. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae143. [PMID: 38585183 PMCID: PMC10995957 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Trials evaluating antimalarials for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) have shown that dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) is a more efficacious antimalarial than sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP); however, SP is associated with higher birthweight, suggesting that SP demonstrates "nonmalarial" effects. Chemoprevention of nonmalarial febrile illnesses (NMFIs) was explored as a possible mechanism. Methods In this secondary analysis, we leveraged data from 654 pregnant Ugandan women without HIV infection who participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing monthly IPTp-SP with IPTp-DP. Women were enrolled between 12 and 20 gestational weeks and followed through delivery. NMFIs were measured by active and passive surveillance and defined by the absence of malaria parasitemia. We quantified associations among IPTp regimens, incident NMFIs, antibiotic prescriptions, and birthweight. Results Mean "birthweight for gestational age" Z scores were 0.189 points (95% CI, .045-.333) higher in women randomized to IPTp-SP vs IPTp-DP. Women randomized to IPTp-SP had fewer incident NMFIs (incidence rate ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, .58-.95), mainly respiratory NMFIs (incidence rate ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, .48-1.00), vs IPTp-DP. Counterintuitively, respiratory NMFI incidence was positively correlated with birthweight in multigravidae. In total 75% of respiratory NMFIs were treated with antibiotics. Although overall antibiotic prescriptions were similar between arms, for each antibiotic prescribed, "birthweight for gestational age" Z scores increased by 0.038 points (95% CI, .001-.074). Conclusions Monthly IPTp-SP was associated with reduced respiratory NMFI incidence, revealing a potential nonmalarial mechanism of SP and supporting current World Health Organization recommendations for IPTp-SP, even in areas with high-grade SP resistance. While maternal respiratory NMFIs are known risk factors of lower birthweight, most women in our study were presumptively treated with antibiotics, masking the potential benefit of SP on birthweight mediated through preventing respiratory NMFIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan John Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Abel Kakuru
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Karen B Jacobson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Vaccine Study Center, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Moses R Kamya
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Kajubi
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Anju Ranjit
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stephanie L Gaw
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Julie Parsonnet
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jade Benjamin-Chung
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Prasanna Jagannathan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michelle E Roh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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3
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Ma R, Salinas ND, Orr-Gonzalez S, Richardson B, Ouahes T, Torano H, Jenkins BJ, Dickey TH, Neal J, Duan J, Morrison RD, Gittis AG, Doritchamou JYA, Zaidi I, Lambert LE, Duffy PE, Tolia NH. Structure-guided design of VAR2CSA-based immunogens and a cocktail strategy for a placental malaria vaccine. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011879. [PMID: 38437239 PMCID: PMC10939253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011879] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Placental accumulation of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes results in maternal anemia, low birth weight, and pregnancy loss. The parasite protein VAR2CSA facilitates the accumulation of infected erythrocytes in the placenta through interaction with the host receptor chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). Antibodies that prevent the VAR2CSA-CSA interaction correlate with protection from placental malaria, and VAR2CSA is a high-priority placental malaria vaccine antigen. Here, structure-guided design leveraging the full-length structures of VAR2CSA produced a stable immunogen that retains the critical conserved functional elements of VAR2CSA. The design expressed with a six-fold greater yield than the full-length protein and elicited antibodies that prevent adhesion of infected erythrocytes to CSA. The reduced size and adaptability of the designed immunogen enable efficient production of multiple variants of VAR2CSA for use in a cocktail vaccination strategy to increase the breadth of protection. These designs form strong foundations for the development of potent broadly protective placental malaria vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ma
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nichole D Salinas
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sachy Orr-Gonzalez
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brandi Richardson
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tarik Ouahes
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Holly Torano
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bethany J Jenkins
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thayne H Dickey
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jillian Neal
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Junhui Duan
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert D Morrison
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Apostolos G Gittis
- Structural Biology Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Justin Y A Doritchamou
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Irfan Zaidi
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lynn E Lambert
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Patrick E Duffy
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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4
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Gowda DC, Miller LH. Glycosylation in malaria parasites: what do we know? Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:131-146. [PMID: 38262838 PMCID: PMC10923157 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
In malaria parasites, although post-translational modification of proteins with N-. O-, and C-glycosidic bond-linked glycans is limited, it is confined to relatively fewer proteins in which the glycans are present at significant levels and may have important functions. Furthermore, several proteins are modified with glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) which represent the predominant glycan synthesized by parasites. Modification of proteins with GPIs is obligatory for parasite survival as GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play essential roles in all life cycle stages of the parasites, including development, egress, gametogenesis, motility, and host cell adhesion and invasion. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the structures and potential functions of the glycan moieties of parasite proteins. The knowledge has important implications for the development of drugs and vaccines for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Channe Gowda
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Louis H Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
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5
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Mahamar A, Traore M, Swihart B, Attaher O, Diarra BS, Santara G, Issiaka D, Barry A, Sidibé Y, Dicko YT, Keita S, Ndiaye O, Dicko A, Duffy PE, Fried M. Acquisition of antibodies that block Plasmodium falciparum adhesion to placental receptor chondroitin sulfate A with increasing gravidity in Malian women. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1330962. [PMID: 38274790 PMCID: PMC10808177 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1330962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In malaria-endemic areas, pregnant women are more susceptible to Plasmodium falciparum infection, especially primigravidae. During pregnancy, parasites sequester in the placenta and bind to the receptor chondroitin sulfate (CSA). This unique adhesion is mediated by the parasite protein VAR2CSA expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IE). Placental malaria is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes including perinatal mortality, preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA) and low birthweight deliveries. Over successive pregnancies, women acquire functional antibodies that inhibit IE adhesion to CSA. Here, we examine the development of anti-adhesion activity and the breadth of anti-adhesion activity as a function of number of previous pregnancies, using samples collected from pregnant women living in an area with high seasonal malaria transmission. Women reached plateau levels of anti-adhesion activity and breadth of anti-adhesion activity after 5 pregnancies. We related the level of anti-adhesion activity and reactivity with surface IE to SGA 19/232 pregnancies resulted in SGA, and report that an increase of 10% in median anti-adhesion activity reduced the odds of SGA by 13% and this relationship approached significance. Further, at an anti-adhesion activity level of 43.7%, an increase of 10% in the breadth of activity significantly reduced the odds of SGA by 21.5%. Antibodies that recognize IE surface increased over successive pregnancies, but were not associated with a reduction in SGA. These results can serve as a guideline for assessing vaccine candidates aiming to reduce poor pregnancy outcomes associated with placental malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almahamoudou Mahamar
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Moussa Traore
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Bruce Swihart
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Oumar Attaher
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Bacary Soumana Diarra
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Gaoussou Santara
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Djibrilla Issiaka
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Amadou Barry
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Youssoufa Sidibé
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Yahia T. Dicko
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Sekouba Keita
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Oulematou Ndiaye
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Alassane Dicko
- Malaria Research & Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Patrick E. Duffy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michal Fried
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Roessner R, Michelarakis N, Gräter F, Aponte-Santamaría C. Mechanical forces control the valency of the malaria adhesin VAR2CSA by exposing cryptic glycan binding sites. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011726. [PMID: 38117828 PMCID: PMC10786402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is responsible for the most lethal form of malaria. VAR2CSA is an adhesin protein expressed by this parasite at the membrane of infected erythrocytes for attachment to the placenta, leading to pregnancy-associated malaria. VAR2CSA is a large 355 kDa multidomain protein composed of nine extracellular domains, a transmembrane helix, and an intracellular domain. VAR2CSA binds to Chondroitin Sulphate A (CSA) of the proteoglycan matrix of the placenta. Shear flow, as the one occurring in blood, has been shown to enhance the (VAR2CSA-mediated) adhesion of Pf-infected erythrocytes on the CSA-matrix. However, the underlying molecular mechanism governing this enhancement has remained elusive. Here, we address this question by using equilibrium, force-probe, and docking-based molecular dynamics simulations. We subjected the VAR2CSA protein-CSA sugar complex to a force mimicking the tensile force exerted on this system due to the shear of the flowing blood. We show that upon this force exertion, VAR2CSA undergoes a large opening conformational transition before the CSA sugar chain dissociates from its main binding site. This preferential order of events is caused by the orientation of the molecule during elongation, as well as the strong electrostatic attraction of the sugar to the main protein binding site. Upon opening, two additional cryptic CSA binding sites get exposed and a functional dodecameric CSA molecule can be stably accommodated at these force-exposed positions. Thus, our results suggest that mechanical forces increase the avidity of VAR2CSA by turning it from a monovalent to a multivalent state. We propose this to be the molecular cause of the observed shear-enhanced adherence. Mechanical control of the valency of VAR2CSA is an intriguing hypothesis that can be tested experimentally and which is of relevance for the understanding of the malaria infection and for the development of anti placental-malaria vaccines targeting VAR2CSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Roessner
- Molecular Biomechanics Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicholas Michelarakis
- Molecular Biomechanics Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frauke Gräter
- Molecular Biomechanics Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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Kabalu Tshiongo J, Luzolo F, Kabena M, Kuseke L, Djimde M, Mitashi P, Lumbala C, Kayentao K, Menting S, Mens PF, Schallig HDFH, Lutumba P, Tinto H, Muhindo Mavoko H, Maketa V. Performance of ultra-sensitive malaria rapid diagnostic test to detect Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Malar J 2023; 22:322. [PMID: 37872634 PMCID: PMC10594769 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04749-2] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low peripheral parasitaemia caused by sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum in the placenta hampers the diagnosis of malaria in pregnant women, leading to microscopy or conventional rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) false-negative results. Although mainly asymptomatic, maternal malaria remains harmful to pregnant women and their offspring in endemic settings and must be adequately diagnosed. Ultra-sensitive RDTs (uRDTs) are thought to be more sensitive than RDTs, and their diagnostic performance was assessed in the current study in pregnant women living in Kinshasa, a stable malaria transmission area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. METHODS To assess and compare the diagnostic performances of both RDTs and uRDTs, 497 peripheral blood samples were tested using microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as the index and the reference tests, respectively. The agreement between the different diagnostic tests assessed was estimated by Cohen's Kappa test. RESULTS The median parasite density by qPCR was 292 p/μL of blood [IQR (49.7-1137)]. Using qPCR as the reference diagnostic test, the sensitivities of microscopy, RDT and uRDT were respectively [55.7% (95% CI 47.6-63.6)], [81.7% (95%CI 74.7-87.3)] and [88% (95% CI 81.9-92.6)]. The specificities of the tests were calculated at 98.5% (95% CI 96.6-99.5), 95.2% (95% CI 92.5-97.2) and 94.4% (95% CI 91.4-96.6) for microscopy, RDT and uRDT, respectively. The agreement between qPCR and uRDT was almost perfect (Kappa = 0.82). For parasite density (qPCR) below 100 p/µL, the sensitivity of RDT was 62% (95% CI 47.1-75.3) compared to 68% (95% CI 53.3-80.4) for uRDT. Between 100 and 200 p/µL, the sensitivity of RDT was higher, but still lower compared to uRDT: 89.4% (95% CI 66.8-98.7) for RDT versus 100% (95% CI 82.3-100) for uRDT. In both cases, microscopy was lower, with 20% (95% CI 10-33.7) and 47.3% (95% CI 24.4-71.1) respectively. CONCLUSIONS uRDT has the potential to improve malaria management in pregnant women as it has been found to be slightly more sensitive than RDT in the detection of malaria in pregnant women but the difference was not significant. Microscopy has a more limited value for the diagnosis of malaria during the pregnancy, because of its lower sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Japhet Kabalu Tshiongo
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Academic Medical Centres at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Flory Luzolo
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Melissa Kabena
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Lise Kuseke
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Moussa Djimde
- Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Academic Medical Centres at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Patrick Mitashi
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Crispin Lumbala
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kassoum Kayentao
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Sandra Menting
- Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Academic Medical Centres at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Petra F Mens
- Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Academic Medical Centres at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk D F H Schallig
- Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory for Experimental Parasitology, Academic Medical Centres at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Lutumba
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Institut Supérieur Des Techniques Médicales de Kinshasa (ISTM-Kinshasa), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Halidou Tinto
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de La Santé - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (IRSS-CRUN), Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Hypolite Muhindo Mavoko
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Vivi Maketa
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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8
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Akhouri RR, Goel S, Skoglund U. Cryo-electron microscopy of IgM-VAR2CSA complex reveals IgM inhibits binding of Plasmodium falciparum to Chondroitin Sulfate A. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6391. [PMID: 37828011 PMCID: PMC10570280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41838-x] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) adhering to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in placenta via VAR2CSA-type PfEMP1. Human pentameric immunoglobulin M (IgM) binds to several types of PfEMP1, including VAR2CSA via its Fc domain. Here, a 3.6 Å cryo-electron microscopy map of the IgM-VAR2CSA complex reveals that two molecules of VAR2CSA bind to the Cµ4 of IgM through their DBL3X and DBL5ε domains. The clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation of the two VAR2CSA molecules on opposite faces of IgM juxtaposes C-termini of both VAR2CSA near the J chain, where IgM creates a wall between both VAR2CSA molecules and hinders its interaction with its receptor. To support this, we show when VAR2CSA is bound to IgM, its staining on IEs as well as binding of IEs to chondroitin sulfate A in vitro is severely compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetesh Raj Akhouri
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India.
| | - Suchi Goel
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Tirupati, India
| | - Ulf Skoglund
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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Rupar MJ, Sasserath T, Smith E, Comiter B, Sriram N, Long CJ, McAleer CW, Hickman JJ. Development of a human malaria-on-a-chip disease model for drug efficacy and off-target toxicity evaluation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10509. [PMID: 37380653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35694-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A functional, multi-organ, serum-free system was developed for the culture of P. falciparum in an attempt to establish innovative platforms for therapeutic drug development. It contains 4 human organ constructs including hepatocytes, splenocytes, endothelial cells, as well as recirculating red blood cells which allow for infection with the parasite. Two strains of P. falciparum were used: the 3D7 strain, which is sensitive to chloroquine; and the W2 strain, which is resistant to chloroquine. The maintenance of functional cells was successfully demonstrated both in healthy and diseased conditions for 7 days in the recirculating microfluidic model. To demonstrate an effective platform for therapeutic development, systems infected with the 3D7 strain were treated with chloroquine which significantly decreased parasitemia, with recrudescence observed after 5 days. Conversely, when the W2 systems were dosed with chloroquine, parasitemia levels were moderately decreased when compared to the 3D7 model. The system also allows for the concurrent evaluation of off-target toxicity for the anti-malarial treatment in a dose dependent manner which indicates this model could be utilized for therapeutic index determination. The work described here establishes a new approach to the evaluation of anti-malarial therapeutics in a realistic human model with recirculating blood cells for 7 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Rupar
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Trevor Sasserath
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Ethan Smith
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Brandon Comiter
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Narasimhan Sriram
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | - Christopher J Long
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA
| | | | - James J Hickman
- Hesperos, Inc., 12501 Research Parkway, Suite 100, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA.
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10
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Iyamu U, Vinals DF, Tornyigah B, Arango E, Bhat R, Adra TR, Grewal S, Martin K, Maestre A, Overduin M, Hazes B, Yanow SK. A conserved epitope in VAR2CSA is targeted by a cross-reactive antibody originating from Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1202276. [PMID: 37396303 PMCID: PMC10312377 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1202276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy, VAR2CSA is expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IEs) and mediates their sequestration in the placenta. As a result, antibodies to VAR2CSA are largely restricted to women who were infected during pregnancy. However, we discovered that VAR2CSA antibodies can also be elicited by P. vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP). We proposed that infection with P. vivax in non-pregnant individuals can generate antibodies that cross-react with VAR2CSA. To better understand the specificity of these antibodies, we took advantage of a mouse monoclonal antibody (3D10) raised against PvDBP that cross-reacts with VAR2CSA and identified the epitopes targeted by this antibody. We screened two peptide arrays that span the ectodomain of VAR2CSA from the FCR3 and NF54 alleles. Based on the top epitope recognized by 3D10, we designed a 34-amino acid synthetic peptide, which we call CRP1, that maps to a highly conserved region in DBL3X. Specific lysine residues are critical for 3D10 recognition, and these same amino acids are within a previously defined chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) binding site in DBL3X. We showed by isothermal titration calorimetry that the CRP1 peptide can bind directly to CSA, and antibodies to CRP1 raised in rats significantly blocked the binding of IEs to CSA in vitro. In our Colombian cohorts of pregnant and non-pregnant individuals, at least 45% were seroreactive to CRP1. Antibody reactivities to CRP1 and the 3D10 natural epitope in PvDBP region II, subdomain 1 (SD1), were strongly correlated in both cohorts. These findings suggest that antibodies arising from PvDBP may cross-react with VAR2CSA through the epitope in CRP1 and that CRP1 could be a potential vaccine candidate to target a distinct CSA binding site in VAR2CSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwa Iyamu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Bernard Tornyigah
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Eliana Arango
- Grupo Salud y Comunidad, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Crónicas (GEINCRO), Fundación Universitaria San Martín, Sabaneta, Colombia
| | - Rakesh Bhat
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Trixie Rae Adra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Simranjit Grewal
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Kimberly Martin
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Amanda Maestre
- Grupo Salud y Comunidad, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Michael Overduin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Bart Hazes
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stephanie K. Yanow
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Azmi WA, Rizki AFM, Djuardi Y, Artika IM, Siregar JE. Molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum: An updated review. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023:105460. [PMID: 37269964 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Malaria still poses a major burden on human health around the world, especially in endemic areas. Plasmodium resistance to several antimalarial drugs has been one of the major hindrances in control of malaria. Thus, the World Health Organization recommended artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a front-line treatment for malaria. The emergence of parasites resistant to artemisinin, along with resistant to ACT partner drugs, has led to ACT treatment failure. The artemisinin resistance is mostly related to the mutations in the propeller domain of the kelch13 (k13) gene that encodes protein Kelch13 (K13). The K13 protein has an important role in parasite reaction to oxidative stress. The most widely spread mutation in K13, with the highest degree of resistance, is a C580Y mutation. Other mutations, which are already identified as markers of artemisinin resistance, are R539T, I543T, and Y493H. The objective of this review is to provide current molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. The trending use of artemisinin beyond its antimalarial effect is described. Immediate challenges and future research directions are discussed. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying artemisinin resistance will accelerate implementation of scientific findings to solve problems with malarial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wihda Aisarul Azmi
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Andita Fitri Mutiara Rizki
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Yenny Djuardi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - I Made Artika
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
| | - Josephine Elizabeth Siregar
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia.
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Bal M, Ghosal J, Das A, Sandeepta S, Pati S, Dutta A, Ranjit M. Impact of Sub-patent Malaria During Pregnancy on Birth-Weight in Odisha, India: Time-to-Event Analysis of Prospective Longitudinal Follow-Up of a Survey. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2023; 13:23-31. [PMID: 36650337 PMCID: PMC10006379 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-022-00082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to estimate prevalence of malaria infection, especially sub-patent infection, in pregnant women residing in high malaria-endemic, hard-to-reach pockets of the Indian state of Odisha; and also measure its impact on birth-weight of their new-borns. METHOD A time-to-event analysis of prospective longitudinal follow-up study nested within a cross-sectional survey of people residing in high malaria-endemic six districts of Odisha was conducted during July-November 2019. Malaria status in pregnant mothers was categorized as malaria free; sub-patent, and patent. Hazards Ratio (HR) of low birth-weight (LBW; birth-weight < 2500 gms) was estimated in these three categories (n = 308) adjusted for residence (block), gravida, caste, age and gestational age at testing. RESULTS 50.3% pregnant women had sub-patent malaria infection, 3.9% had patent infection. In fully adjusted model, hazards ratio of LBW was 3.76 (95% CI 1.12, 12.64, p = 0.032) in pregnant women with patent infection and 1.82 (95% CI 0.87, 3.81, p = 0.109) in women with sub-patent infection when compared to no malaria group. CONCLUSION The study showed that half of the pregnant women in high-endemic pockets had sub-patent infection which posed deleterious influence on birth-weight of their new-borns. The study thereby flags the prevalence of sub-patent infection as a public health concern, because sub-patent infection in pregnant mothers may persist as a "silent" reservoir, with the potential to derail the malaria control program, especially when the country plans malaria elimination by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhusmita Bal
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Jyoti Ghosal
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
- School of Public Health, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Arundhuti Das
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Sonali Sandeepta
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Sanghmitra Pati
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Ambarish Dutta
- Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Plot No. 267/3408, Jaydev Vihar, Mayfair Lagoon Road, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751013, India.
| | - Manoranjan Ranjit
- Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India.
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13
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Dombrowski JG, Acford-Palmer H, Campos M, Separovic EPM, Epiphanio S, Clark TG, Campino S, Marinho CRF. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax isolates from pregnant women in the Western Brazilian Amazon: a prospective cohort study. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 18:100407. [PMID: 36844021 PMCID: PMC9950542 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Each year, 92 million pregnant women are at risk of contracting malaria during pregnancy, with the underestimation of the mortality and morbidity burden associated with Plasmodium vivax. During pregnancy, P. vivax infection is associated with low birth weight, maternal anaemia, premature delivery, and stillbirth. In the State of Acre (Brazil), high transmission leaves pregnant women at greater risk of contracting malaria and having a greater number of recurrences. The study of genetic diversity and the association of haplotypes with adverse pregnancy effects is of great importance for the control of the disease. Here we investigate the genetic diversity of P. vivax parasites infecting pregnant women across their pregnancies. Methods P. vivax DNA was extracted from 330 samples from 177 women followed during pregnancy, collected in the State of Acre, Brazil. All samples were negative for Plasmodium falciparum DNA. Sequence data for the Pvmsp1 gene was analysed alongside data from six microsatellite (MS) markers. Allelic frequencies, haplotype frequencies, expected heterozygosity (HE) were calculated. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was conducted on four samples from pregnant women and phylogenetic analysis performed with other samples from South American regions. Findings Initially, the pregnant women were stratified into two groups-1 recurrence and 2 or more recurrences-in which no differences were observed in clinical gestational outcomes or in placental histological changes between the two groups. Then we evaluated the parasites genetically. An average of 18.5 distinct alleles were found at each of the MS loci, and the HE calculated for each marker indicates a high genetic diversity occurring within the population. There was a high percentage of polyclonal infections (61.7%, 108/175), and one haplotype (H1) occurred frequently (20%), with only 9 of the haplotypes appearing in more than one patient. Interpretation Most pregnant women had polyclonal infections that could be the result of relapses and/or re-infections. The high percentage of H1 parasites, along with the low frequency of many other haplotypes are suggestive of a clonal expansion. Phylogenetic analysis shows that P. vivax population within pregnant women clustered with other Brazilian samples in the region. Funding FAPESP and CNPq - Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Holly Acford-Palmer
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Monica Campos
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sabrina Epiphanio
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Taane Gregory Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Disulfide bond and crosslinking analyses reveal inter-domain interactions that contribute to the rigidity of placental malaria VAR2CSA structure and formation of CSA binding channel. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 226:143-158. [PMID: 36470436 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
VAR2CSA, a multidomain Plasmodium falciparum protein, mediates the adherence of parasite-infected red blood cells to chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) in the placenta, contributing to placental malaria. Therefore, detailed understanding of VAR2CSA structure likely help developing strategies to treat placental malaria. The VAR2CSA ectodomain consists of an N-terminal segment (NTS), six Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains, and three interdomains (IDs) present in sequence NTS-DBL1x-ID1-DBL2x-ID2-DBL3x-DBL4ε-ID3-DBL5ε-DBL6ε. Recent electron microscopy studies showed that VAR2CSA is compactly organized into a globular structure containing C4S-binding channel, and that DBL5ε-DBL6ε arm is attached to the NTS-ID3 core structure. However, the structural elements involved in inter-domain interactions that stabilize the VAR2CSA structure remain largely not understood. Here, limited proteolysis and peptide mapping by mass spectrometry showed that VAR2CSA contains several inter-domain disulfide bonds that stabilize its compact structure. Chemical crosslinking-mass spectrometry showed that all IDs interact with DBL4ε; additionally, IDs interact with other DBL domains, demonstrating that IDs are the key structural scaffolds that shape the functional NTS-ID3 core. Ligand binding analysis suggested that NTS considerably restricts the C4S binding. Overall, our study revealed that inter-domain disulfide bonds and interactions between IDs and DBL domains contribute to the stability of VAR2CSA structural architecture and formation of C4S-binding channel.
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15
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Reddy V, Weiss DJ, Rozier J, Ter Kuile FO, Dellicour S. Global estimates of the number of pregnancies at risk of malaria from 2007 to 2020: a demographic study. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e40-e47. [PMID: 36521951 PMCID: PMC9764451 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(22)00431-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most recent global estimates of the number of pregnancies at risk of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria infection are from 2007. To inform global malaria prevention and control efforts, we aimed to estimate the global distribution of pregnancies at risk of malaria infection from 2007 to 2020. METHODS We used estimates from the Malaria Atlas Project on the total population living in areas of P falciparum and P vivax transmission, combined with country-specific demographic data on women of reproductive age, fertility rates, induced abortions, and stillbirths, to derive the annual number of pregnancies overall, by parasite species, and by endemicity strata from 2007 to 2020. The definition of endemicity strata was based on the parasite point prevalence in individuals aged 2-10 years for P falciparum and 1-99 years for P vivax. We also did a sensitivity analysis in which we considered most of sub-Saharan Africa endemic for P vivax. FINDINGS In 2020, 121·9 million pregnancies occurred in malaria transmission areas, resulting in an estimated 70·9 million (58·1%) livebirths. The total number of pregnancies at risk of malaria was 52·9 million in the WHO South-East Asia (SEARO) region, 5·1 million in the Western Pacific (WPRO) region, 46·1 million in the Africa (AFRO) region, 11·1 million in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) region, and 6·7 million in the Americas (AMRO) region. Between 2007 and 2020, pregnancies in areas of P falciparum transmission declined by 11·4% globally, despite an overall 7·0% increase in pregnancies, representing a decrease of 100·0% in the WHO Europe (EURO) region, 52·6% in WPRO, 51·5% in AMRO, 23·9% in EMRO, and 17·2% in SEARO, and a 25·4% increase in AFRO. Pregnancies in P vivax transmission areas fell by 42·8%, representing a decrease of 100·0% in EURO, 89·8% in WPRO, 48·4% in AMRO, 32·4% in EMRO, and 10·0% in SEARO, and a 25·8% increase in AFRO. Our sensitivity analysis suggests that the number of pregnancies at risk of P vivax infection could be seven-fold higher for AFRO if the whole of sub-Saharan Africa was considered endemic for P vivax. INTERPRETATION Between 2007 and 2020, substantial declines in the number of pregnancies at risk of malaria were seen globally. However, in AFRO, 25·4% more pregnancies were at risk of P falciparum or P vivax malaria than in 2007. This increase in the number at risk in AFRO comes despite the decline in malaria rates due to the rapidly rising population and the corresponding number of pregnancies in endemic areas. These estimates should guide priority setting for resource allocation to control malaria in pregnancy. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Telethon Trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Reddy
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Daniel J Weiss
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rozier
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Feiko O Ter Kuile
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Stephanie Dellicour
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
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Gaoussou S, Attaher O, Swihart B, Traore M, Diarra S, Soumbounou IH, Ndiaye O, Issiaka D, Morrison R, Mahamar A, Duffy PE, Dicko A, Fried M. Pregnancy outcomes in a malaria-exposed Malian cohort of women of child-bearing age. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1061538. [PMID: 36569122 PMCID: PMC9772013 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1061538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth, early neonatal death, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. Current preventive measures are insufficient and new interventions are urgently needed. However, before such interventions can be tested in pregnant women, background information on pregnancy outcomes in this target population must be collected. We conducted an observational study in Ouélessébougou, Mali, a malaria-endemic area where first antenatal visit commonly occurs during the second trimester of pregnancy, hindering calculation of miscarriage rate in the population. To accurately determine the rate of miscarriage, 799 non-pregnant women of child-bearing age were enrolled and surveyed via monthly follow up visits that included pregnancy tests. Out of 505 women that completed the study, 364 became pregnant and 358 pregnancies were analyzed: 43 (12%) resulted in miscarriage, 28 (65.1%) occurred during the first trimester of pregnancy. We also determined rates of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm delivery, and small for gestational age. The results showed high rate of miscarriage during the first trimester and established a basis to evaluate new interventions to prevent pregnancy malaria. This survey design enabled identification of first trimester miscarriages that are often missed by studies conducted in antenatal clinics. Clinical trial registration [https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT0297 4608].
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Affiliation(s)
- Santara Gaoussou
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Oumar Attaher
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Bruce Swihart
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Moussa Traore
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Soumaila Diarra
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ibrahim H. Soumbounou
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Oulematou Ndiaye
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Djibrilla Issiaka
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Robert Morrison
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Almahamoudou Mahamar
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Patrick E. Duffy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alassane Dicko
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Michal Fried
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Michal Fried,
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17
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Kassa MW, Hasang W, Barateiro A, Damelang T, Brewster J, Dombrowski JG, Longley RJ, Chung AW, Wunderlich G, Mueller I, Aitken EH, Marinho CRF, Rogerson SJ. Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil. Malar J 2022; 21:360. [PMID: 36457056 PMCID: PMC9714246 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04402-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnant women have increased susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria and acquire protective antibodies over successive pregnancies. Most studies that investigated malaria antibody responses in pregnant women are from high transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa, while reports from Latin America are scarce and inconsistent. The present study sought to explore the development of antibodies against P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low transmission area in the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS In a prospective cohort study, plasma samples from 408 pregnant women (of whom 111 were infected with P. falciparum, 96 had infections with P. falciparum and P. vivax, and 201 had no Plasmodium infection) were used to measure antibody levels. Levels of IgG and opsonizing antibody to pregnancy-specific variant surface antigens (VSAs) on infected erythrocytes (IEs), 10 recombinant VAR2CSA Duffy binding like (DBL domains), 10 non-pregnancy-specific P. falciparum merozoite antigens, and 10 P. vivax antigens were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, and multiplex assays. Antibody levels and seropositivity among the groups were compared. RESULTS Antibodies to VSAs on P. falciparum IEs were generally low but were higher in currently infected women and women with multiple P. falciparum episodes over pregnancy. Many women (21%-69%) had antibodies against each individual VAR2CSA DBL domain, and antibodies to DBLs correlated with each other (r ≥ 0.55, p < 0.0001), but not with antibody to VSA or history of infection. Infection with either malaria species was associated with higher seropositivity rate for antibodies against P. vivax proteins, adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) ranged from 5.6 (3.2, 9.7), p < 0.0001 for PVDBPII-Sal1 to 15.7 (8.3, 29.7), p < 0.0001 for PvTRAg_2. CONCLUSIONS Pregnant Brazilian women had low levels of antibodies to pregnancy-specific VSAs that increased with exposure. They frequently recognized both VAR2CSA DBL domains and P. vivax antigens, but only the latter varied with infection. Apparent antibody prevalence is highly dependent on the assay platform used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meseret W. Kassa
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Level 5, 792 Elizabeth St, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
| | - Wina Hasang
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - André Barateiro
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Timon Damelang
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Jessica Brewster
- grid.1042.70000 0004 0432 4889Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Jamille G. Dombrowski
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rhea J. Longley
- grid.1042.70000 0004 0432 4889Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Amy W. Chung
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Gerhard Wunderlich
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivo Mueller
- grid.1042.70000 0004 0432 4889Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Elizabeth H. Aitken
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Claudio R. F. Marinho
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stephen J. Rogerson
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Level 5, 792 Elizabeth St, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC Australia
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18
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Roh ME, Mpimbaza A, Oundo B, Irish A, Murphy M, Wu SL, White JS, Shiboski S, Glymour MM, Gosling R, Dorsey G, Sturrock H. Association between indoor residual spraying and pregnancy outcomes: a quasi-experimental study from Uganda. Int J Epidemiol 2022; 51:1489-1501. [PMID: 35301532 PMCID: PMC9557839 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Indoor residual spraying with insecticide (IRS) reduces malaria infections, yet the effects of IRS on pregnancy outcomes are not well established. We evaluated the impact of a large-scale IRS campaign on pregnancy outcomes in Eastern Uganda. METHODS Birth records (n = 59 992) were obtained from routine surveillance data at 25 health facilities from five districts that were part of the IRS campaign and six neighbouring control districts ∼27 months before and ∼24 months after the start of the campaign (January 2013-May 2017). Campaign effects on low birthweight (LBW) and stillbirth incidence were estimated using the matrix completion method (MC-NNM), a machine-learning approach to estimating potential outcomes, and compared with the difference-in-differences (DiD) estimator. Subgroup analyses were conducted by HIV and gravidity. RESULTS MC-NNM estimates indicated that the campaign was associated with a 33% reduction in LBW incidence: incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49-0.93)]. DiD estimates were similar to MC-NNM [IRR = 0.69 (0.47-1.01)], despite a parallel trends violation during the pre-IRS period. The campaign was not associated with substantial reductions in stillbirth incidence [IRRMC-NNM = 0.94 (0.50-1.77)]. HIV status modified the effects of the IRS campaign on LBW [βIRSxHIV = 0.42 (0.05-0.78)], whereby HIV-negative women appeared to benefit from the campaign [IRR = 0.70 (0.61-0.81)], but not HIV-positive women [IRR = 1.12 (0.59-2.12)]. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the effectiveness of the campaign in Eastern Uganda based on its benefit to LBW prevention, though HIV-positive women may require additional interventions. The IRS campaign was not associated with a substantively lower stillbirth incidence, warranting further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Roh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute of Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arthur Mpimbaza
- Child Health and Development Centre, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Brenda Oundo
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Amanda Irish
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute of Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell Murphy
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sean L Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Justin S White
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stephen Shiboski
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M Maria Glymour
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roly Gosling
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute of Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hugh Sturrock
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute of Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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19
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Mikobi TM, Kamuanya NC, Akilimali PZ, Lukusa PT. Sickle cell disease and pregnancy profile of complicated malaria in 982 pregnancies in Kinshasa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275115. [PMID: 36201515 PMCID: PMC9536558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Malaria is associated with high morbidity during pregnancy. Homozygous sickle cell pregnant women are even more exposed during complicated malaria. The objective of the study was to evaluate the maternal and fetal morbidity of homozygous sickle cell pregnant pregnant women with complicated malaria. Methods We conducted a retrospective case-control study of 982 pregnancies in sickle cell pregnant women, during which a group of sickle cell pregnant women who received antimalarial chemoprophylaxis was compared to another group without chemoprophylaxis. We analyzed the clinical evolution of pregnant women (VOCs and transfusions, pregnancy weight gain) and parasite (parasite density at the time of diagnosis of complicated malaria and during treatment for three days). We analyzed the parameters of newborns at birth (age of pregnancy at the time of delivery, birth weight, weight of the placenta and histopathological examination of the placenta. Results Out of 982 pregnancies, 15% of pregnant women suffered from complicated malaria, 57% suffered from uncomplicated malaria and 28% did not suffer from malaria. Pregnancy weight gain, birth weight, was better in the group of pregnant women who received chemoprophylaxis and the placenta had less histological lesions. Parasite density was low. There was a significant positive correlation between parasite density and the number of CVOs and transfusions and between parasite density and histological lesions of the placenta and low birth weight. Conclusion Complicated malaria is associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity in sickle cell patients. Malaria chemoprophylaxis can reduce maternal and fetal complications and parasite density during malaria infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tite Minga Mikobi
- Centre d’Excellence de la Drépanocytose (CED), Molecular Biology Service, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
- Center for Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
- Obstetrics Gynecology Department, Sickle Cell Center, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Kinshasa, DRC
- * E-mail:
| | - Nelly Ciombo Kamuanya
- Centre d’Excellence de la Drépanocytose (CED), Molecular Biology Service, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
- Obstetrics Gynecology Department, Sickle Cell Center, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - Pierre Zalagile Akilimali
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - Prosper Tshilobo Lukusa
- Centre d’Excellence de la Drépanocytose (CED), Molecular Biology Service, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
- Center for Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
- Genetics Unit, Neonatology Service, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Kinshasa, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DRC
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20
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Phase 3 Evaluation of an Innovative Simple Molecular Test for the Diagnosis of Malaria and Follow-Up of Treatment Efficacy in Pregnant Women in Sub-Saharan Africa (Preg-Diagmal). Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7090219. [PMID: 36136630 PMCID: PMC9501078 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7090219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) can sequester in the placenta resulting in low density of peripheral parasitemia and consequently in false negative malaria diagnosis (by microscopy) in pregnant women. Moreover, the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in diagnostic strategies, including those for the detection of a malaria infection during pregnancy, is constrained by either persistent malaria antigen (histidine-rich protein 2; HRP2) after successful treatment, leading to false positive test results, or by false negative results as previously mentioned due to parasite sequestration (which is further exacerbated due to the low limited of detection [LoD] of conventional RDTs) or to HRP2 deletion. Recently, a direct blood polymerase chain reaction combined with a nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (dbPCR-NALFIA) has been developed, which circumvents these challenges and has demonstrated its diagnostic potential in phase 1 and 2 studies. The PREG-DIAGMAL trial presented in this manuscript will assess the diagnostic performance of dbPCR-NALFIA for the diagnostic of malaria in pregnant women and its potential to monitor treatment efficacy in these subjects. The work is ancillary embedded in an ongoing EDCTP funded trial, the PyraPreg project (PACTR202011812241529) in which the safety and efficacy of a newly registered Artemisinin-Based Combination (Pyronaridine-Artesunate) is being evaluated in pregnant women. This is a Phase 3 diagnostic evaluation conducted in 2 African countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burkina Faso. Pregnant women fulfilling the inclusion criteria of the PyraPreg study will be also invited to participate in the PREG-DIAGMAL study. Diagnostic accuracy will be assessed following the WHO/TDR guidelines for the evaluation of diagnostics and reported according to STARD principles. Due to the lack of a 100% specific and sensitive standard diagnostic test for malaria, the sensitivity and specificity of the new test will be compared to the available diagnostic practice in place at the selected settings (microscopy and/or RDT) and to quantitative PCR as the reference test. This phase 3 diagnostic study is designed towards the evaluation of the performance of a new diagnostic tool for the screening of malaria and the monitoring of treatment in pregnant women under real conditions life. If successful, the dbPCR-NALFIA could be a valuable tool to add to the diagnostic arsenal for malaria, in particular during pregnancy. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry database (PACTR202203780981413). Registered on 17 March 2022.
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21
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Sharma A, Jenkins B, Akue A, Lambert LE, Orr-Gonzalez S, Thomas ML, Mahamar A, Diarra BS, Dicko A, Fried M, Duffy PE. Plasmodium falciparum in Aotus nancymaae: A New Model for Placental Malaria. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:521-527. [PMID: 35290467 PMCID: PMC9417121 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes that display the variant surface antigen VAR2CSA bind chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) to sequester in placental intervillous spaces, causing severe sequelae for mother and offspring. Here, we establish a placental malaria (PM) monkey model. Pregnant Aotus infected with CSA-binding P. falciparum CS2 parasites during the third trimester developed pronounced sequestration of late-stage parasites in placental intervillous spaces that express VAR2CSA and bind specifically to CSA. Similar to immune multigravid women, a monkey infected with P. falciparum CS2 parasites over successive pregnancies acquired antibodies against VAR2CSA, with potent functional activity that was boosted upon subsequent pregnancy infections. Aotus also developed functional antibodies after multiple acute PM episodes and subsequent VAR2CSA immunization. In summary, P. falciparum infections in pregnant Aotus monkeys recapitulate all the prominent features of human PM infection and immunity, and this model can be useful for basic mechanistic studies and preclinical studies to qualify candidate PM vaccines. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02471378.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Sharma
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Bethany Jenkins
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Adovi Akue
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lynn E Lambert
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sachy Orr-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Marvin L Thomas
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Office of Research Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Almahamoudou Mahamar
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Bacary S Diarra
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Alassane Dicko
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Michal Fried
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick E Duffy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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22
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Akinnawo A, Seyram K, Kaali EB, Harrison S, Dosoo D, Cairns M, Asante KP. Assessing the relationship between gravidity and placental malaria among pregnant women in a high transmission area in Ghana. Malar J 2022; 21:240. [PMID: 35987638 PMCID: PMC9392271 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04252-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria infection during pregnancy can cause significant morbidity and mortality to a pregnant woman, her fetus and newborn. In areas of high endemic transmission, gravidity is an important risk factor for infection, but there is a complex relationship with other exposure-related factors, and use of protective measures. This study investigated the association between gravidity and placental malaria (PM), among pregnant women aged 14-49 in Kintampo, a high transmission area of Ghana. METHODS Between 2008 and 2011, as part of a study investigating the association between PM and malaria in infancy, pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics in the study area were enrolled and followed up until delivery. The outcome of PM was assessed at delivery by placental histopathology. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between gravidity and PM, identify other key risk factors, and control for potential confounders. Pre-specified effect modifiers including area of residence, socio-economic score (SES), ITN use and IPTp-SP use were explored. RESULTS The prevalence of PM was 65.9% in primigravidae, and 26.5% in multigravidae. After adjusting for age, SES and relationship status, primigravidae were shown to have over three times the odds of PM compared to multigravidae, defined as women with 2 or more previous pregnancies [adjusted OR = 3.36 (95% CI 2.39-4.71), N = 1808, P < 0.001]. The association appeared stronger in rural areas [OR for PG vs. MG was 3.79 (95% CI 3.61-5.51) in rural areas; 2.09 (95% CI 1.17-3.71) in urban areas; P for interaction = 0.07], and among women with lower socio-economic scores [OR for PG vs. MG was 4.73 (95% CI 3.08-7.25) amongst women with lower SES; OR = 2.14 (95% CI 1.38-3.35) among women with higher SES; P for interaction = 0.008]. There was also evidence of lower risk among primigravidae with better use of the current preventive measures IPTp and LLIN. CONCLUSIONS The burden of PM is most heavily focused on primigravidae of low SES living in rural areas of high transmission. Programmes should prioritize primigravidae and young women of child-bearing age for interventions such as LLIN distribution, educational initiatives and treatment to reduce the burden of malaria in first pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodele Akinnawo
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kaali Seyram
- Research and Development Division, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana
| | - Ellen Boamah Kaali
- Research and Development Division, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana
| | - Samuel Harrison
- Research and Development Division, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana
| | - David Dosoo
- Research and Development Division, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana
| | - Matthew Cairns
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kwaku Poku Asante
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Research and Development Division, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana
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23
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Gebresenbet RF, Kamaliddin C, Bekele ZM, Teferi M, Tegegne B, Yewhalaw D, Bayih AG, Pillai DR. Active case detection and treatment of malaria in pregnancy using LAMP technology (LAMPREG): a pragmatic randomised diagnostic outcomes trial-study protocol. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e058397. [PMID: 35851027 PMCID: PMC10410974 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria is one of the major public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa. It contributes significantly to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in affected countries. This study aims to evaluate the impact of enhanced case detection using molecular testing called loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on birth outcomes in a prospective study design. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A pragmatic randomised diagnostic outcomes trial will be conducted in several health institutes in different Ethiopian regions. Women (n=2583) in their first and second trimesters of pregnancy will be included in the study and individually randomised to the standard of care or enhanced case detection arms, and followed until delivery. Enrolment will encompass the malaria peak transmission seasons. In the standard of care arm, a venous blood sample will be collected for malaria diagnosis only in symptomatic patients. In contrast, in the intervention arm, mothers will be tested by a commercially available Conformité Européene (CE)-approved LAMP malaria test, microscopy and rapid diagnostic test for malaria regardless of their symptoms at each antenatal care visit. The primary outcome of the study is to measure birth weight. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study was approved by the following ethical research boards: Armauer Hansen Research Institute/ALERT Ethics Review Committee (FORM AF-10-015.1, Protocol number PO/05/20), the Ethiopia Ministry of Science and Higher Education National Research Ethics Review Committee (approval SRA/11.7/7115/20), the Ethiopia Food and Drug Administration (approval 02/25/33/I), UCalgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB21-0234). The study results will be shared with the institutions and stakeholders such as the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, the Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics, WHO's Multilateral initiative on Malaria - Tropical Diseases Research (TDR-MIM), Roll Back Malaria and the Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium. The study results will also be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03754322.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire Kamaliddin
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Mekonnen Teferi
- Clinical Trials Unit, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Oromia, Ethiopia
| | - Banchamlak Tegegne
- Medical Parasitology, Amhara Public Health Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, Jimma University College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | | | - Dylan R Pillai
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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24
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Dechavanne C, Nouatin O, Adamou R, Edslev S, Hansen A, Meurisse F, Sadissou I, Gbaguidi E, Milet J, Cottrell G, Gineau L, Sabbagh A, Massougbodji A, Moutairou K, Donadi EA, Carosella ED, Moreau P, Remarque E, Theisen M, Rouas-Freiss N, Garcia A, Favier B, Courtin D. Placental Malaria is Associated with Higher LILRB2 Expression in Monocyte Subsets and Lower Anti-Malarial IgG Antibodies During Infancy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:909831. [PMID: 35911674 PMCID: PMC9326509 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.909831] [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: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Placental malaria (PM) is associated with a higher susceptibility of infants to Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria. A hypothesis of immune tolerance has been suggested but no clear explanation has been provided so far. Our goal was to investigate the involvement of inhibitory receptors LILRB1 and LILRB2, known to drive immune evasion upon ligation with pathogen and/or host ligands, in PM-induced immune tolerance. Method Infants of women with or without PM were enrolled in Allada, southern Benin, and followed-up for 24 months. Antibodies with specificity for five blood stage parasite antigens were quantified by ELISA, and the frequency of immune cell subsets was quantified by flow cytometry. LILRB1 or LILRB2 expression was assessed on cells collected at 18 and 24 months of age. Findings Infants born to women with PM had a higher risk of developing symptomatic malaria than those born to women without PM (IRR=1.53, p=0.040), and such infants displayed a lower frequency of non-classical monocytes (OR=0.74, p=0.01) that overexpressed LILRB2 (OR=1.36, p=0.002). Moreover, infants born to women with PM had lower levels of cytophilic IgG and higher levels of IL-10 during active infection. Interpretation Modulation of IgG and IL-10 levels could impair monocyte functions (opsonisation/phagocytosis) in infants born to women with PM, possibly contributing to their higher susceptibility to malaria. The long-lasting effect of PM on infants’ monocytes was notable, raising questions about the capacity of ligands such as Rifins or HLA-I molecules to bind to LILRB1 and LILRB2 and to modulate immune responses, and about the reprogramming of neonatal monocytes/macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Dechavanne
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Odilon Nouatin
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Rafiou Adamou
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Sofie Edslev
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anita Hansen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Florian Meurisse
- Center for Immunology of Viral, Auto-immune, Hematological and Bacterial diseases (IMVA-HB/IDMIT), Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CEA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ibrahim Sadissou
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Erasme Gbaguidi
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Jacqueline Milet
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Gilles Cottrell
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Laure Gineau
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Audrey Sabbagh
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Kabirou Moutairou
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Eduardo A. Donadi
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medicine School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Edgardo D. Carosella
- CEAA, DRF-Institut François Jacob, Service de Recherches en Hémato-Immunologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
- U976 HIPI Unit, IRSL, Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Moreau
- CEAA, DRF-Institut François Jacob, Service de Recherches en Hémato-Immunologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
- U976 HIPI Unit, IRSL, Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ed Remarque
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Michael Theisen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nathalie Rouas-Freiss
- CEAA, DRF-Institut François Jacob, Service de Recherches en Hémato-Immunologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
- U976 HIPI Unit, IRSL, Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - André Garcia
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
| | - Benoit Favier
- Center for Immunology of Viral, Auto-immune, Hematological and Bacterial diseases (IMVA-HB/IDMIT), Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CEA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - David Courtin
- UMR 261 MERIT, Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris, France
- *Correspondence: David Courtin,
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Helvacioglu C, Baghaki S, Bibata BB, Yıldırım Karaca S, Doğan K. Can platelet indices be of value in pregnant women with malaria? J OBSTET GYNAECOL 2022; 42:2046-2050. [PMID: 35703734 DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2022.2080533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Malaria infection in pregnancy is a serious disease with feto-maternal adverse outcomes. In this study we evaluated and compared the haematologic parameters of pregnant women with and without malarial infection. This case-control study included a total of 145 participants (59 pregnant women with malaria and 86 aparasitemic pregnant women). Haematological parameters were evaluated using an automated hemo-analyser. Haemoglobin, platelet, white blood cell and platelet distribution width (PDW) of pregnant women with malaria were found to be significantly lower than pregnant without malaria. However, the mean platelet volume (MPV) of pregnant women with malaria was significantly higher than those without infection.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Malaria infection in pregnancy is a serious disease and may affect haematological parameters.What do the results of this study add? Platelet indices were significantly changed in malaria. Especially mean platelet volume (MPV) with malaria was significantly higher than those without infection.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Among the expected differences in haematologic parameters of pregnant women with malaria, the increase in MPV has been a novel finding. The increase in MPV level of pregnant with malaria should be investigated further to address the value of MPV as a prognostic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caglar Helvacioglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Turkish Niger Friendship Hospital Niamey, Niamey, Niger
| | - Sema Baghaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Sciences University, Bakirkoy Dr Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Boukari Bako Bibata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Turkish Niger Friendship Hospital Niamey, Niamey, Niger
| | - Suna Yıldırım Karaca
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Sciences University, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Keziban Doğan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Sciences University, Bakirkoy Dr Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
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Leuba SI, Westreich D, Bose CL, Powers KA, Olshan A, Taylor SM, Tshefu A, Lokangaka A, Carlo WA, Chomba E, Liechty EA, Bucher SL, Esamai F, Jessani S, Saleem S, Goldenberg RL, Moore J, Nolen T, Hemingway-Foday J, McClure EM, Koso-Thomas M, Derman RJ, Hoffman M, Bauserman M. Predictors of Plasmodium falciparum Infection in the First Trimester Among Nulliparous Women From Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. J Infect Dis 2022; 225:2002-2010. [PMID: 34888658 PMCID: PMC9159331 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria can have deleterious effects early in pregnancy, during placentation. However, malaria testing and treatment are rarely initiated until the second trimester, leaving pregnancies unprotected in the first trimester. To inform potential early intervention approaches, we sought to identify clinical and demographic predictors of first-trimester malaria. METHODS We prospectively recruited women from sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, and Zambia who participated in the ASPIRIN (Aspirin Supplementation for Pregnancy Indicated risk Reduction In Nulliparas) trial. Nulliparous women were tested for first-trimester Plasmodium falciparum infection by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We evaluated predictors using descriptive statistics. RESULTS First-trimester malaria prevalence among 1513 nulliparous pregnant women was 6.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7%-8.8%] in the Zambian site, 37.8% (95% CI, 34.2%-41.5%) in the Kenyan site, and 62.9% (95% CI, 58.6%-67.2%) in the DRC site. First-trimester malaria was associated with shorter height and younger age in Kenyan women in site-stratified analyses, and with lower educational attainment in analyses combining all 3 sites. No other predictors were identified. CONCLUSIONS First-trimester malaria prevalence varied by study site in sub-Saharan Africa. The absence of consistent predictors suggests that routine parasite screening in early pregnancy may be needed to mitigate first-trimester malaria in high-prevalence settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sequoia I Leuba
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Westreich
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carl L Bose
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly A Powers
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andy Olshan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Steve M Taylor
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antoinette Tshefu
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Adrien Lokangaka
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | | | - Edward A Liechty
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sherri L Bucher
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Fabian Esamai
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Saleem Jessani
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sarah Saleem
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Robert L Goldenberg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Janet Moore
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tracy Nolen
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer Hemingway-Foday
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elizabeth M McClure
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marion Koso-Thomas
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Matthew Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Christiana Care, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Melissa Bauserman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Mapping and characterizing areas with high levels of malaria in pregnancy in Brazil: A spatiotemporal analysis. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2022; 12:100285. [PMID: 36776427 PMCID: PMC9903888 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is a public health problem in the Brazilian Amazon region that requires special attention due to associated serious adverse consequences, such as low birth weight, increased prematurity and spontaneous abortion rates. In Brazil, there have been no comprehensive epidemiological studies of MiP. In this study, we aimed to explore the spatial and spatiotemporal patterns of MiP in Brazil and epidemiologically characterize this population of pregnant women over a period of 15 years. Methods We performed a national-scale ecological analysis using a Bayesian space-time hierarchical model to estimate the incidence rates of MiP between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2018. We mapped the high-incidence clusters among pregnant women aged 10-49 years old using a Poisson model, and we characterized the population based on data from the Epidemiological Surveillance Information System for Malaria (SIVEP-Malaria). Findings We consolidated the data of 61,833 women with MiP in Brazil. Our results showed a reduction of 50·1% (95% CI: 47·3 to 52·9) in the number of malaria cases over the period analysed, with Plasmodium vivax malaria having the highest incidence. MiP was widely distributed throughout the Amazon region, and spatial and spatiotemporal analyses revealed statistically significant clusters in some municipalities of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia and Pará. In addition, we observed that younger pregnant women had a higher risk of infection, and the administration of appropriate treatment requires more attention. Interpretation This nationwide study provides robust evidence that, despite the reduction in the number of MiP cases in the country, it remains a serious public health problem, especially for young pregnant women. Our analyses highlight focus areas for strengthening interventions to control and eliminate MiP. Funding FAPESP and CNPq - Brazil.
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Cardona-Arias JA, Carmona-Fonseca J. Frequency of placental malaria and its associated factors in northwestern Colombia, pooled analysis 2009–2020. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268949. [PMID: 35609045 PMCID: PMC9129008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268949] [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: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge about placental malaria (PM) is insufficient in the world, and incipient in Colombia where studies are few and recent. In this country, PM has been reported by Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, and mixed infection. The objective was to determine the frequency of PM and its associated clinical-epidemiological factors in mothers and neonates in northwestern Colombia, 2009–2020. A Retrospective pooled analysis with 602 placentas captured in five investigations. The diagnosis of PM was made with thick blood smear (TBS) and qPCR. The groups with and without PM were compared using the Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios in a log-binomial model. The prevalence of PM was 27.7% with 92% (155/167) of submicroscopic cases; 41.3% by P. vivax, 44,3% by P. falciparum, and 14.4% by mixed infections. In the multivariate adjustment, PM was associated with the diagnosis of congenital malaria, low neonatal weight, gestational malaria, maternal anemia, previous malaria during pregnancy, and age between 25–43 years. This research is the investigation with the largest number of subjects for studying PM in Colombia, in the ecoepidemiological zone that produces more cases of malaria per year, finding a high prevalence of submicroscopic PM that caused serious maternal (anemia) and neonatal (congenital malaria and low neonatal weight) effects. The results show limitations in the timely diagnosis and treatment, given that the epidemiological surveillance program in Colombia is based on thick blood smear, which generates a substantial underestimation of the magnitude of PM, with serious effects and clinical risks. It is urgent to demand that the health authorities adopt measures such as prenatal control visits as soon as the pregnancy begins, monthly implementation of TBS, and active search for infected pregnant women in their homes and workplaces.
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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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Kobia FM, Maiti K, Obimbo MM, Smith R, Gitaka J. Potential pharmacologic interventions targeting TLR signaling in placental malaria. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:513-524. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Vincenz C, Dolo Z, Saye S, Lovett JL, Strassmann BI. Risk factors for placental malaria, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses, and birth outcomes in a rural to urban prospective cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali. Malar J 2022; 21:110. [PMID: 35361195 PMCID: PMC8974163 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04125-6] [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: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria in Mali remains a primary cause of morbidity and mortality, with women at high risk during pregnancy for placental malaria (PM). Risk for PM and its association with birth outcomes was evaluated in a rural to urban longitudinal cohort on the Bandiagara Escarpment and the District of Bamako. METHODS Placental samples (N = 317) were collected from 249 mothers who were participants in a prospective cohort study directed by BIS in the years 2011 to 2019. A placental pathologist and research assistant evaluated the samples by histology in blinded fashion to assess PM infection stage and parasite density. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to model the odds of PM infection. RESULTS In a multivariable model, pregnancies in Bamako, beyond secondary education, births in the rainy season (instead of the hot dry season), and births to women who had ≥ 3 doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) instead of no doses were associated with reduced odds of experiencing PM (active and past infections combined). Births in later years of the study were strongly associated with reduced odds of PM. Maternal age, which was positively associated with offspring year of birth, was significant as a predictor of PM only if offspring year of birth was omitted from the model. Gravidity was positively associated with both maternal age and offspring year of birth such that if either variable was included in the model, then gravidity was no longer significant. However, if maternal age or year of offspring birth were not adjusted for, then the odds of PM were nearly two-fold higher in primigravida compared to multigravida. Birth outcomes improved (+ 285 g birth weight, + 2 cm birth length, + 75 g placental weight) for women who had ≥ 3 doses of SP compared to no doses, but no difference was detected in birth weight or length for women who had 2 instead of ≥ 3 SP doses. However, at 2 instead of ≥ 3 doses placentas were 36 g lighter and the odds of low birth weight (< 2500 g) were 14% higher. Severe parasite densities (> 10% erythrocytes infected) were significantly associated with decreases in birth weight, birth length, and placental weight, as were chronic PM infections. The women who received no SP during pregnancy (7% of the study total) were younger and lacked primary school education. The women who received ≥ 3 doses of SP came from more affluent families. CONCLUSIONS Women who received no doses of SP during pregnancy experienced the most disadvantageous birth outcomes in both Bamako and on the Bandiagara Escarpment. Such women tended to be younger and to have had no primary school education. Targeting such women for antenatal care, which is the setting in which SP is most commonly administered in Mali, will have a more positive impact on public health than focusing on the increment from two to three doses of SP, although that increment is also desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudius Vincenz
- Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zachary Dolo
- Independent Investigator, Bandiagara Cercle, Mali
| | - Serou Saye
- Independent Investigator, Bandiagara Cercle, Mali
| | - Jennie L Lovett
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Beverly I Strassmann
- Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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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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Tayade S, Madaan S, Kumar S, Talwar D, Chadha A. Tropical Infections Induced Fulminant Hepatitis in Peripartum Managed Successfully: Tales of Fate. Cureus 2022; 14:e22223. [PMID: 35340480 PMCID: PMC8928236 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.22223] [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] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue, intestinal helminths, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and filariasis have an essential influence on the reproductive health of patients. Various cases of pregnancy loss in unexplained circumstances are a result of underdiagnosed tropical diseases. Term pregnancy complicated by tropical diseases is a challenge for the treating clinicians as these infections tend to mimic HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets) syndrome and increase the chances of perinatal complications and maternal mortality. Except for tropical diseases, ever since the conception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the differentials for fever pregnancy have become extensive, and the treating clinicians need to solve the puzzle of the etiology behind these symptoms that are non-specific and might be due to both COVID-19 and tropical Infections. Prophylactic treatment for malaria is pivotal in pregnancy as immunity is decreased during pregnancy, making the patient susceptible to developing malaria-related complications. Dengue is one of the most common mosquito-borne infections found around the globe. Complications of dengue during pregnancy include pregnancy loss as well as vertical transmission of infection to the fetus. Leptospirosis, even though rare, has a wide range of complications in pregnancy ranging from fetal loss to congenital infection and oligohydramnios, thereby requiring close monitoring and prompt management during pregnancy. We report a case series of three cases where patients presented during the period of pregnancy with fulminant hepatic failure, which turned out to be a consequence of tropical diseases. All the cases were treated successfully and discharged in stable condition.
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Community Malaria Knowledge, Experiences, Perceived Roles, and Acceptability of Community-Directed Distribution of Intermittent Preventive Therapy for Pregnancy in Rural Southeast Nigeria. J Parasitol Res 2022; 2022:8418917. [PMID: 35087686 PMCID: PMC8789422 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8418917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. The community plays key roles in protecting pregnant women in rural areas from malaria. This study assessed malaria experiences, knowledge, perceived roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy, and acceptability of community-directed distribution of intermittent preventive therapy (IPTp) for malaria in pregnancy in rural Southeast Nigeria. Methods. This study presents part of the baseline findings of a before-and-after study. Data was collected from 817 community members in Ebonyi State using interviewer-administered questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and thematic analysis. Results. The majority of the respondents were females (73.8%) with a mean age of
. Most respondents (65.2%) had Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN) and fever in the past year (67.1%). Malaria (88.6%) was identified as the major health condition in the community. Majority (74.1%) knew infected mosquito bites as the cause of malaria while 61.1% and 71.5% were definitely sure that pregnant women and children were at risk for malaria. Sleeping under ITN (54.3%), clean environment (39.7%), and herbal medications (26.8%) were the main ways of malaria prevention cited. Only 18.4% of the participants rated their knowledge of IPTp as adequate, and only 9.3% knew the common drug names used for IPTp. The major perceived roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy were referral of pregnant women to the health facility, encouragement of household ITN use, and sustaining malaria-related projects. The majority of the participants (60.6%) strongly agreed that community-directed distribution of IPTp-SP will improve the prevention of malaria in pregnancy. Most (77.2%) considered community-directed distribution of IPTp acceptable, and 74.4% of the pregnant respondents preferred community to facility administration of IPTp. Conclusions. Malaria was recognized as a prevalent disease, but there was inadequate knowledge of malaria prevention in pregnancy notably intermittent preventive therapy. There was positive perception of roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy and high acceptability of community-directed distribution of IPTp. Community-level malaria control programs should utilize a whole-of–community approach to optimally engage and educate the community on malaria prevention in pregnancy as well as explore community distribution approach for IPTp.
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Sundararaman SA, Odom John AR. Prevention of malaria in pregnancy: The threat of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:966402. [PMID: 36061376 PMCID: PMC9433640 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.966402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria infection in pregnancy can lead to adverse outcomes for both the pregnant person and fetus. The administration of intermittent preventative therapy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy (IPTp-SP) improves outcomes, including severe maternal anemia, placental malaria infection, and low infant birth weight. The WHO recommends IPTp-SP for pregnant individuals living in areas of moderate or high malaria transmission in Africa. The current regimen consists of two or more doses of SP starting as early as possible in the second trimester, at least 1 month apart. Unfortunately, rising Plasmodium falciparum SP resistance throughout Africa threatens to erode the benefits of SP. Recent studies have shown a decrease in IPTp-SP efficacy in areas with high SP resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify new drug regimens that can be used for intermittent preventative therapy in pregnancy. In this review, we discuss recent data on P. falciparum SP resistance in Africa, the effect of resistance on IPTp-SP, and studies of alternative IPTp regimens. Finally, we present a framework for the ideal pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties for future IPTp regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sesh A Sundararaman
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Audrey R Odom John
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Bush MA, Anstey NM, Yeo TW, Florence SM, Granger DL, Mwaikambo ED, Weinberg JB. Vascular Dysfunction in Malaria: Understanding the Role of the Endothelial Glycocalyx. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:751251. [PMID: 34858979 PMCID: PMC8631294 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.751251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum results in over 400,000 deaths annually, predominantly affecting African children. In addition, non-falciparum species including vivax and knowlesi cause significant morbidity and mortality. Vascular dysfunction is a key feature in malaria pathogenesis leading to impaired blood perfusion, vascular obstruction, and tissue hypoxia. Contributing factors include adhesion of infected RBC to endothelium, endothelial activation, and reduced nitric oxide formation. Endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) protects the vasculature by maintaining vessel integrity and regulating cellular adhesion and nitric oxide signaling pathways. Breakdown of eGC is known to occur in infectious diseases such as bacterial sepsis and dengue and is associated with adverse outcomes. Emerging studies using biochemical markers and in vivo imaging suggest that eGC breakdown occurs during Plasmodium infection and is associated with markers of malaria disease severity, endothelial activation, and vascular function. In this review, we describe characteristics of eGC breakdown in malaria and discuss how these relate to vascular dysfunction and adverse outcomes. Further understanding of this process may lead to adjunctive therapy to preserve or restore damaged eGC and reduce microvascular dysfunction and the morbidity/mortality of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Bush
- Duke University School of Nursing and Durham VA Medical Centers, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Nicholas M Anstey
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Tsin W Yeo
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Donald L Granger
- School of Medicine, University of Utah and Salt Lake City VA Medical Centers, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | | | - J Brice Weinberg
- Duke University School of Medicine and Durham VA Medical Centers, Durham, NC, United States
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Keitany GJ, Jenkins BJ, Obiakor HT, Daniel S, Muehlenbachs A, Semblat JP, Gamain B, Doritchamou JYA, Desai SA, MacDonald NJ, Narum DL, Morrison R, Saveria T, Vignali M, Oleinikov AV, Fried M, Duffy PE. An invariant protein that co-localizes with VAR2CSA on Plasmodium falciparum-infected red cells binds to chondroitin sulfate A. J Infect Dis 2021; 225:2011-2022. [PMID: 34718641 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) bind and sequester in deep vascular beds, causing malaria-related disease and death. In pregnant women, VAR2CSA binds to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and mediates placental sequestration, making it the major placental malaria (PM) vaccine target. Here, we characterize an invariant protein associated with PM called Plasmodium falciparum chondroitin sulfate A ligand (PfCSA-L). Recombinant PfCSA-L binds both placental CSA and VAR2CSA with nanomolar affinity, and is coexpressed on the iRBC surface with VAR2CSA. Unlike VAR2CSA, which is anchored by a transmembrane domain, PfCSA-L is peripherally associated with the outer surface of knobs through high affinity protein-protein interactions with VAR2CSA. This suggests iRBC sequestration involves complexes of invariant and variant surface proteins, allowing parasites to maintain both diversity and function at the iRBC surface. PfCSA-L is a promising target for intervention because it is well conserved, exposed on infected cells, and expressed and localized with VAR2CSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gladys J Keitany
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA, USA.,University of Washington, Department of Pathobiology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bethany J Jenkins
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Harold T Obiakor
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shaji Daniel
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Atis Muehlenbachs
- University of Washington Medical Center, Anatomic Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Semblat
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, Inserm, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Benoit Gamain
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, Inserm, F-75015, Paris, France
| | | | - Sanjay A Desai
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD
| | | | - David L Narum
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Tracy Saveria
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Michal Fried
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA, USA.,University of Washington, Department of Pathobiology, Seattle, WA, USA.,Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick E Duffy
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA, USA.,University of Washington, Department of Pathobiology, Seattle, WA, USA.,Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Anto F, Ayepah C, Awini E, Bimi L. Determinants of uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria with sulfadoxine pyrimethamine in pregnancy: a cross-sectional analytical study in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. Arch Public Health 2021; 79:177. [PMID: 34649606 PMCID: PMC8515639 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00694-1] [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: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ghana malaria control programme recommends the uptake of five doses of sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy following the review of the World Health Organization recommendations in 2012. The uptake of higher doses of SP since the implementation of the new policy in 2016, has been low across the country. The current study determined factors that can be improved to increase uptake of SP for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp-SP). METHODS A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out among women who had just delivered in selected health facilities in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. Participants were enrolled from the lying-in wards of the study facilities after delivery. Data including time of initiating antenatal care (ANC), number of visits, time of first dose of SP and number of doses were collected. ANC books were also reviewed. Logistic and ordered logistic regression analysis were done to determine respondent factors associated with uptake of IPTp-SP using Stata 15. RESULTS Out of the 496 mothers who participated in the study, 370 (74.60%) initiated ANC during the first trimester, 123 (24.80%) during the second, with only three (0.60%) starting during the third trimester. Majority (463/496, 93.35%) made > 4 visits. Uptake of at least one dose of SP was 98.79% (490/496), ≥ 2 doses was 92.75 (460/496), ≥ 3 doses was 80.65% (400/496) and ≥ 4 doses was 40.32% (200/496). Uptake of IPTp 5 was very low (6.65%, 33/490). A unit increase of one ANC visit was associated with 20% higher odds of receiving 3-4 doses of SP with respect to receiving 1-2 doses (p < 0.001). The probability of receiving 5 or more doses of SP with respect to 1-2 doses was 26% higher with a unit increase of one ANC visit. CONCLUSION Uptake of 3-4 doses and ≥ 5 doses of SP were associated with making more ANC visits. Encouraging and motivating expectant mothers to make more ANC visits can improve uptake of ≥5 doses of SP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Anto
- School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Christabel Ayepah
- School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.,Western Regional Health Directorate, Public Health Division, Takoradi, Ghana
| | | | - Langbong Bimi
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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Megli CJ, Coyne CB. Infections at the maternal-fetal interface: an overview of pathogenesis and defence. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 20:67-82. [PMID: 34433930 PMCID: PMC8386341 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00610-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Infections are a major threat to human reproductive health, and infections in pregnancy can cause prematurity or stillbirth, or can be vertically transmitted to the fetus leading to congenital infection and severe disease. The acronym ‘TORCH’ (Toxoplasma gondii, other, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus) refers to pathogens directly associated with the development of congenital disease and includes diverse bacteria, viruses and parasites. The placenta restricts vertical transmission during pregnancy and has evolved robust mechanisms of microbial defence. However, microorganisms that cause congenital disease have likely evolved diverse mechanisms to bypass these defences. In this Review, we discuss how TORCH pathogens access the intra-amniotic space and overcome the placental defences that protect against microbial vertical transmission. Infections during pregnancy can be associated with devastating outcomes for the pregnant mother and developing fetus. In this Review, Megli and Coyne discuss placental defences and provide an overview of how various viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens traverse the maternal–fetal interface and cause disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Megli
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Reproductive Infectious Disease, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Magee Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Carolyn B Coyne
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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Djokic V, Rocha SC, Parveen N. Lessons Learned for Pathogenesis, Immunology, and Disease of Erythrocytic Parasites: Plasmodium and Babesia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:685239. [PMID: 34414129 PMCID: PMC8369351 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.685239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria caused by Plasmodium species and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes affects large human populations, while Ixodes ticks transmit Babesia species and cause babesiosis. Babesiosis in animals has been known as an economic drain, and human disease has also emerged as a serious healthcare problem in the last 20–30 years. There is limited literature available regarding pathogenesis, immunity, and disease caused by Babesia spp. with their genomes sequenced only in the last decade. Therefore, using previous studies on Plasmodium as the foundation, we have compared similarities and differences in the pathogenesis of Babesia and host immune responses. Sexual life cycles of these two hemoparasites in their respective vectors are quite similar. An adult Anopheles female can take blood meal several times in its life such that it can both acquire and transmit Plasmodia to hosts. Since each tick stage takes blood meal only once, transstadial horizontal transmission from larva to nymph or nymph to adult is essential for the release of Babesia into the host. The initiation of the asexual cycle of these parasites is different because Plasmodium sporozoites need to infect hepatocytes before egressed merozoites can infect erythrocytes, while Babesia sporozoites are known to enter the erythrocytic cycle directly. Plasmodium metabolism, as determined by its two- to threefold larger genome than different Babesia, is more complex. Plasmodium replication occurs in parasitophorous vacuole (PV) within the host cells, and a relatively large number of merozoites are released from each infected RBC after schizogony. The Babesia erythrocytic cycle lacks both PV and schizogony. Cytoadherence that allows the sequestration of Plasmodia, primarily P. falciparum in different organs facilitated by prominent adhesins, has not been documented for Babesia yet. Inflammatory immune responses contribute to the severity of malaria and babesiosis. Antibodies appear to play only a minor role in the resolution of these diseases; however, cellular and innate immunity are critical for the clearance of both pathogens. Inflammatory immune responses affect the severity of both diseases. Macrophages facilitate the resolution of both infections and also offer cross-protection against related protozoa. Although the immunosuppression of adaptive immune responses by these parasites does not seem to affect their own clearance, it significantly exacerbates diseases caused by coinfecting bacteria during coinfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitomir Djokic
- Department for Bacterial Zoonozes, Laboratory for Animal Health, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, UPEC, University Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sandra C Rocha
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Nikhat Parveen
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
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Evaluation of the usefulness of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in a context with increased resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 94:105009. [PMID: 34284138 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) threatens its usefulness for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp-SP). The prophylactic effects of IPTp-SP on maternal malaria and adverse pregnancy outcomes were evaluated in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). METHODS Laboring women (n = 844) and respective newborns were investigated. Blood samples collected from women were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic test (RDT), blood smears examination, and real-time PCR. The hemoglobin level was measured by HemoCue© analyzer. A PCR-RFLP method was applied for detecting N51I, C59R, and S108N mutations on dhfr along with A437G and K540E mutations on dhps in P. falciparum positive samples. Logistic regression models assessed relationships between IPTp-SP uptake and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS P. falciparum malaria was detected at delivery in 10.8% of women and was statistically associated with fever during the pregnancy (OR = 2.9 [1.5; 6.3]; p = 0.004) and maternal anemia (OR = 3.9 [2.4; 6.3]; p < 0.001). One out of five parasites was a quintuple mutant encoding dhfr mutations 51I, 59R, and 108 N along with dhps mutations 437G and 540E. The molecular profile of parasites (i.e., 32.6% of parasites carrying dhps K540E) was suitable with continued use of SP for IPTp. IPTp-SP uptake was not associated with reduced maternal malaria, fever reported in pregnancy, or fetal deaths (p > 0.05). Conversely, three or more doses of SP were associated with reduced maternal anemia at delivery (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.9]; p = 0.024), shortened gestation (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.8]; p = 0.009), and low-birth weights (OR = 0.2 [0.1; 0.5]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION IPTp-SP was not associated with reduced maternal malaria in our study, but evidence was found of a prophylactic effect against adverse pregnancy outcomes. To counteract further loss of clinical effects of IPTp-SP in the study population, alternative strategies able to improve its anti-malarial efficacy such as combination of SP with partner molecules should be implemented.
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Chukwu C, Onuoha H, Okorafor KAK, Ojomo O, Mokuolu OA, Ekholuenetale M. Geopolitical zones differentials in intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) and long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) utilization in Nigeria. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254475. [PMID: 34270607 PMCID: PMC8284679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The coverage of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) and intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) uptake for the prevention of malaria commonly vary by geography. Many sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, including Nigeria are adopting the use of LLIN and IPTp to fight malaria. Albeit, the coverage of these interventions to prevent malaria across geographical divisions have been understudied in many countries. In this study, we aimed to explore the differentials in LLIN and IPTp uptake across Nigerian geopolitical zones. Methods We analyzed data from Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2016–17. The outcome variables were IPTp and LLIN uptake among women of childbearing age (15–49 years). A total sample of 24,344 women who had given birth were examined for IPTp use and 36,176 women for LLIN use. Percentages, Chi-square test and multivariable logit models plots were used to examine the geopolitical zones differentials in IPTp and LLIN utilization. Data was analyzed at 5% level of significance. Results The overall prevalence of IPTp was 76.0% in Nigeria. Moreover, there were differences across geopolitical zones: North Central (71.3%), North East (76.9%), North West (78.2%), South East (76.1%), South South (79.7%) and South West (72.4%) respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of LLIN was 87.7%% in Nigeria. Also, there were differences across geopolitical zones: North Central (89.1%), North East (91.8%), North West (90.0%), South East (77.3%), South South (81.1%) and South West (69.8%) respectively. Women who have access to media use, married, educated and non-poor were more likely to uptake IPTp. On the other hand, rural dwellers and those with media use were more likely to use LLIN. Conversely, married, educated, non-poor and women aged 25–34 and 35+ were less likely to use LLIN. Conclusion Though the utilization of IPTp and LLIN was relatively high, full coverage are yet to be achieved. There was geopolitical zones differentials in the prevalence of IPTp and LLIN in Nigeria. Promoting the utilization of IPTp and LLINs across the six geopolitical zones through intensive health education and widespread mass media campaigns will help to achieve the full scale IPTp and LLIN utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinedu Chukwu
- Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Management Sciences for Health, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Herbert Onuoha
- Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kwala Adline Katty Okorafor
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Oluwaseun Ojomo
- Department of Psychology and Professional Development, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Olugbenga A. Mokuolu
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Michael Ekholuenetale
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- * E-mail:
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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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Andronescu LR, Sharma A, Peterson I, Kachingwe M, Kachepa W, Liang Y, Gutman JR, Mathanga DP, Chinkhumba J, Laufer MK. The effect of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy and placental malaria on infant risk of malaria. J Infect Dis 2021; 225:248-256. [PMID: 34216212 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) provides greater protection from placental malaria than sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). Some studies suggest placental malaria alters the risk of malaria infection in infants, but few studies have quantified the effect of IPTp on infant susceptibility to malaria. METHODS Infants born to pregnant women enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing IPTp-SP and IPTp-DP in Malawi were followed from birth to 24 months to assess effect of IPTp and placental malaria on time to first malaria episode and P. falciparum incidence. RESULTS In total, 192 infants born to mothers randomized to IPTp-SP and 195 to mothers randomized to IPTp-DP were enrolled. Infants in the IPTp exposure groups did not differ significantly regarding incidence of clinical malaria (IRR= 1.03; 95% CI: 0.58 - 1.86) or incidence of infection (IRR= 1.18; 95% CI: 0.92-1.55). Placental malaria exposure was not associated with incidence of clinical malaria (IRR= 1.03; 95% CI: 0.66-1.59) or incidence of infection (IRR:= 1.15; 95% CI: 0.88-1.50). Infant sex, season of birth, and maternal gravidity did not confound results. CONCLUSIONS We did not find evidence that IPTp regimen or placental malaria exposure influenced risk of malaria during infancy in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana R Andronescu
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Ankur Sharma
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Ingrid Peterson
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Martin Kachingwe
- Malaria Alert Center, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Witness Kachepa
- Malaria Alert Center, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Yuanyuan Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Julie R Gutman
- Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333 USA
| | - Don P Mathanga
- Malaria Alert Center, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Jobiba Chinkhumba
- Malaria Alert Center, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Miriam K Laufer
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
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Factors Associated with Malaria Preventive Measures among Pregnant Women in Guinea. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2021; 2021:9914424. [PMID: 34305392 PMCID: PMC8272455 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9914424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria control interventions have been scaled up, particularly those in pregnant women in Guinea. Despite that, coverage of key malaria preventive measure (MPM) indicators remains low. Therefore, it is vital to understand the reasons behind that, especially for the low coverage of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLIN). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in nine district hospitals in Guinea. Pregnant women received for delivery were interviewed to collect sociodemographic and obstetrical parameters. Associated factors with MPMs were investigated through univariate analysis and classification and regression tree (CART). Results A total of 2248 parturients participated in this study. Among pregnant women using mosquito nets (63.5% (61.4%, 65.5%)), only 41.2% (39.1%, 43.3%) had used it regularly during the last two weeks preceding delivery. Similarly, most pregnant women (57.9% (55.8%, 59.9%)) had received less than three doses of SP, and only a few pregnant women (23.9% (22.1%, 25.7%)) have benefited from full MPMs. Parturient's age, marital status, time spent in residence, place of residence, level of education, distance from home to the health centre, health conditions, occupation, head of the household's occupation, the presence of garbage and stagnant water in the neighbourhood, source of running water, and the number of pregnancies were significantly statistically associated with MPMs in pregnant women. However, the number of antenatal care visits (ANC), means of transportation used by the pregnant woman to accomplish ANCs, and stagnant water in the neighbourhood were the three preponderant factors. Conclusion The low coverage of SP and LLINs among pregnant women requires revitalising some strategies, especially improving ANC coverage and more efforts to reduce inequalities in access to those services due to sociodemographic status. Education on the benefits of these MPMs should also be emphasised.
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Gómez A, Pernía B, Zamora L, Spencer LM. Effect of Plasmodium berghei infection on fetuses in pregnant BALB/c mice at two periods of pregnancy. BIONATURA 2021. [DOI: 10.21931/rb/2021.06.02.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium in humans and vertebrates. It has a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in pregnant women living in countries with high transmission rates. Murine models have been an excellent tool to evaluate the effects of malarial infection in the mother-fetus relationship. For this reason, we evaluated the effect of malarial infection on fetal development at the beginning and middle of the gestational period in BALB/c mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. Our results show that malarial infection at the beginning of pregnancy markedly affects the development of the fetus in size, weight, and development of its limbs so that the control of the pregnant mother is relevant at the beginning of gestation
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreina Gómez
- Cell Biology Department, Simón Bolívar University, Valle de Sartenejas, Caracas
| | - Beatriz Pernía
- University of Guayaquil, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Av. Raúl Gómez Lince s/n y Av. Juan Tanca Marengo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Lizbeth Zamora
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, San Miguel de Urcuquí, Ecuador
| | - Lilian M. Spencer
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, San Miguel de Urcuquí, Ecuador Cell Biology Department, Simón Bolívar University, Valle de Sartenejas, Caracas
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Piccioni MG, Del Negro V, Vena F, Capone C, Merlino L, Moore JM, Giancotti A, Porpora MG, Brunelli R. Diagnosis & management of imported malaria in pregnant women in non-endemic countries. Indian J Med Res 2021; 152:449-455. [PMID: 33707386 PMCID: PMC8157900 DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_851_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria in pregnancy is an important cause of maternal and foetal morbidity and is a potentially life-threatening infection. With ever-growing global exchanges, imported malaria in pregnancy is becoming an issue of concern in non-endemic countries where women, because of low immunity, have higher risk of severe diseases and death. Malaria in pregnancy is a dangerous condition which can be associated with important consequences for both mother and child such as stillbirth, low birth weight, maternal anaemia. In non-endemic-countries it is more frequent in its severe form which can lead to maternal death if not treated adequately. Specific anti-malarial interventions such as the use of repellents and insecticide treated bed nets in addition to chemoprophylaxis should be used by pregnant women if they are travelling to endemic areas. In cases of confirmed infection, specific treatment regimens vary according to gestational age and the presence of complications. Malaria should be considered a global health problem, increasingly involving western countries. Clinicians all over the world need to be prepared for this emerging disease both in terms of prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Piccioni
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Del Negro
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Flaminia Vena
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmela Capone
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Merlino
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - James Matthaus Moore
- Department of Uro-Gynaecology, Gynaecology Oncology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Antonella Giancotti
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Porpora
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Brunelli
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical & Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Papaccio M, Castellani R, Zanardini C, Sartori E, Prefumo F, Saccani B. Pregnancy and COVID-19: Do not overlook malaria. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2021; 153:550-551. [PMID: 33713432 PMCID: PMC8251964 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
COVID‐19 and malaria may have a similar presentation in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Papaccio
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Castellani
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cristina Zanardini
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Enrico Sartori
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Federico Prefumo
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Barbara Saccani
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
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Minkobame U, Mveang Nzoghe A, Maloupazoa Siawaya AC, Alame-Emane AK, Ndong Sima CAA, Mvoundza Ndjindji O, Zang Eyi C, Ndong Mintsa A, Padzys GS, Meye JF, Djoba Siawaya JF. Case series of SARS-COV-2 infection in pregnant African women: focus on biological features. J Med Virol 2021; 93:4147-4151. [PMID: 33710650 PMCID: PMC8251219 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulysse Minkobame
- Pôle mère, CHU- Mère-Enfant Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Amandine Mveang Nzoghe
- Unité de Recherche et Diagnostics Spécialisé, Service Laboratoire, CHU-Mère-Enfant; Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Anicet C Maloupazoa Siawaya
- Unité de Recherche et Diagnostics Spécialisé, Service Laboratoire, CHU-Mère-Enfant; Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
| | | | - Carene A A Ndong Sima
- Unité de Recherche et Diagnostics Spécialisé, Service Laboratoire, CHU-Mère-Enfant; Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon.,Immunology Group, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Ofilia Mvoundza Ndjindji
- Unité de Recherche et Diagnostics Spécialisé, Service Laboratoire, CHU-Mère-Enfant; Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Carinne Zang Eyi
- Pôle enfant, CHU-Mère-Enfant Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
| | | | - Guy-Stephane Padzys
- Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Physiologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Jean-François Meye
- Pôle mère, CHU- Mère-Enfant Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon.,Département de Gynécologie et Obstétrique, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Owendo, Gabon
| | - Joel F Djoba Siawaya
- Unité de Recherche et Diagnostics Spécialisé, Service Laboratoire, CHU-Mère-Enfant; Fondation Jeanne EBORI, Libreville, Gabon
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49
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Olanlokun JO, Bodede O, Prinsloo G, Olorunsogo OO. Comparative antimalarial, toxicity and mito-protective effects of Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A. DC. and Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels on Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 268:113585. [PMID: 33189839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A. DC. and Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels are traditionally used in Africa for the treatment of malaria. However, scientific evidence to substantiate this folkloric claim and their effects on liver mitochondria during malaria treatment have not been reported. AIM OF THE STUDY This study investigated the efficacy of D. mespiliformis and M. whitei against chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of malarial parasites in mice. It also investigated the toxicity and protection against cellular organelles like mitochondria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Swiss mice were infected with a chloroquine resistant (ANKA) strain of Plasmodium berghei and were treated via oral gavage with methanol extracts of D. mespiliformis and M. whitei reconstituted in diluted dimethylsulfoxide as vehicle (DMSO, 5% v/v) for five consecutive days. Percentage parasite load and clearance were assessed by microscopy. The infected control was treated with the vehicle. Hematological indices were assessed using standard procedures. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined using assay kits. Hepatic mitochondria were isolated via centrifugation, and their permeability transition (mPT), ATPase (mATPase) activity and lipid peroxidation (mLPO) were determined spectroscopically. Liver tissue histology was carried out by standard laboratory procedures. Phytochemical analysis of both extracts were performed using LC-MS to identify the most prominent compounds from each of the extracts. RESULTS After treatment on day 5, D. mespiliformis and M. whitei at 400 mg/kg decreased mean values for: percentage parasitemia (5.0 ± 1.0, 2.0 ± 0.2), increased Packed Cell Volume (PCV) (36.0 ± 1.4, 36.0 ± 0.0%) and platelets (2.0 ± 1.4, 2.0 ± 2.8 × 105mm3) relative to the untreated control (20.0 ± 5.2; 30.0 ± 0.0%; 1.4 ± 1.4 × 105 mm3, respectively). At the same dose, D. mespiliformis and M. whitei decreased ALT (8.0 ± 3.8, 24.2 ± 4.0U/L), AST (6.2 ± 0.8, 8.0 ± 0.9U/L) and ALP (56.0 ± 0.7, 51.0 ± 1.0U/L) activities compared to the infected control (77.0 ± 10.9U/L, 14.0 ± 0.7U/L and 76.0 ± 6.0U/L, respectively). Both D. mespiliformis and M. whitei reversed mPT opening, decreased mATPase enhancement and mLPO, relative to the control. Histopathology of the liver showed extensive hemorrhagic lesions and severe disseminated congestion in the infected control while both D. mespiliformis and M. whitei were well tolerated at the highest dose. The LC-MS analysis of D. mespiliformis showed the presence of betulinic acid, tocopherol and kaempferol with antimalarial and antioxidant properties while the M. whitei sample contained coumarin and chlorogenic acid that have antimalarial and hepato-protective properties. CONCLUSIONS D.mespiliformis and M. whitei show antimalarial effects against resistant Plasmodium berghei infection, enhanced cell viability, mito-protection and are not toxic in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Oludele Olanlokun
- Laboratories for Biomembrane Research and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Olusola Bodede
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Prinsloo
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Olufunso Olabode Olorunsogo
- Laboratories for Biomembrane Research and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
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50
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Kamaliddin C, Sutherland CJ, Houze S, Cottrell G, Briand V, Mogollon DC, Pillai DR. The role of ultra-sensitive molecular methods for detecting malaria - the broader perspective. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:e1387-e1390. [PMID: 33693719 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-sensitive molecular diagnostics are lowering the limit of detection for malaria parasites in the blood and providing insights not captured by conventional tool such as microscopy and rapid antigen tests. Low-level malaria infections identified by molecular tools may influence clinical outcomes, transmission events, and elimination efforts. While many ultra-sensitive molecular methods require well-equipped laboratories, technologies such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) or recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) provide more portable and analytically sensitive solutions. These tools may benefit asymptomatic patient screening, antenatal care, and elimination campaigns. We review the recent evidence, offer our perspective on the impact of these new tests and identify future research priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Kamaliddin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, UK
| | - Sandrine Houze
- UMR261 - MERIT, IRD, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Paris, Paris, Île-de-France.,Centre National de Référence pour le Paludisme, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Gilles Cottrell
- UMR261 - MERIT, IRD, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Paris, Paris, Île-de-France
| | - Valerie Briand
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Inserm, UMR 1219, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniel Castaneda Mogollon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dylan R Pillai
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
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