title: Malaria and pregnancy in Cameroonian primigravidae: humoral and cellular immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage antigens.
abstract: To investigate the mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility to malaria in pregnant women, we determined the level of malaria-specific immunity in primigravidae. Humoral and cellular in vitro responses to unpurified (a crude schizont extract and a gametocyte preparation) and purified (affinity-purified Pf155/ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen [RESA]) Plasmodium falciparum proteins, an immunodominant 45/47-kilodalton antigen from Mycobacterium bovis, and leucoagglutinin were compared between 52 primigravidae and 52 nonpregnant women from a semirural area of Cameroon. In vitro cellular responses were investigated in terms of lymphocyte proliferation, as well as production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and IL-4. Cells from primigravidae exhibited a reduced proliferative response to schizont and gametocyte antigens, as well as to the M. bovis antigen. Conversely, the IL-2 response to Pf155/RESA was reduced. Interleukin-4 and IFN-gamma production did not appear to be affected in primigravidae. Antibody levels were also similar between pregnant and nonpregnant women. Our results underline the importance of examining several parameters of T cell activation with different types of antigens for a correct evaluation of the ability of lymphocytes to respond to malaria.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) Unite 13 et Institut de Medecine et d'Epidemiologie Africaines (IMEA), Paris, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fievet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cot
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chougnet
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maubert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bickii
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Le Hesran
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Frobert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Migot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C050256:ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum