title: Placental malaria diminishes development of antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum epitopes in infants residing in an area of western Kenya where P. falciparum is endemic.
abstract: To determine the effect of placental malaria (PM) infection on the development of antibody responses to malaria in infants, we measured immunoglobulin G levels to seven different Plasmodium falciparum epitopes by using plasma samples collected at monthly intervals from infants born to mothers with and without PM. Overall, PM was associated with diminished antibody levels to all of the epitopes tested, especially with infants aged >or=4 to 12 months, and the difference was statistically significant for four of the seven epitopes (P<0.0035). These findings suggest that PM can negatively influence the development of immune responses to malaria in infants.
authors.affiliation: Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, NCID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip Cullison
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lisa B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mirel
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ayisi
authors.forename: Ya Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Eijk
authors.forename: Juliana A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Otieno
authors.forename: Bernard L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Nahlen
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Steketee
authors.forename: Venkatachalam
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Udhayakumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G