Reduced transfer of tetanus antibodies with placental malaria.
Placental malaria may limit antibody transfer to the fetus. We compared concentrations of tetanus antibody in paired maternal-cord sera from 224 women living in a malarious area of Papua New Guinea. With heavy placental infection (> 35 parasites per 200 white cells) the average cold tetanus antibody corresponding to a maternal level of 1 IU/mL was 0.18 (95% CI 0.12-0.26); corresponding figures after light (< 35 parasites per 200 white cells) or no infection were 0.23 (0.14-0.34) and 0.82 (0.57-1.21), respectively. About 10% of babies born to mothers with a placenta heavily infected with Plasmodium falciparum may fail to acquire protective levels of tetanus antibody despite adequate maternal antibody.
Brair
M E
ME
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK.
Brabin
B J
BJ
Milligan
P
P
Maxwell
S
S
Hart
C A
CA
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired / Q000276:immunology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial