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.
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.
Bonner
Phillip Cullison
PC
Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, NCID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Zhou
Zhiyong
Z
Mirel
Lisa B
LB
Ayisi
John G
JG
Shi
Ya Ping
YP
van Eijk
Anna M
AM
Otieno
Juliana A
JA
Nahlen
Bernard L
BL
Steketee
Richard W
RW
Udhayakumar
Venkatachalam
V
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
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G