Alterations in the profile of blood cell types during malaria in previously unexposed primigravid monkeys.
Malaria in nonimmune, primigravid women threatens both mother and fetus. We used the Plasmodium coatneyi/rhesus monkey model to examine factors associated with this. Clinical and immunologic responses during the blood stage of chronic malaria (4 months) were evaluated in 8 malaria-naive primigravid (PMI) and 8 age-matched nulligravid (NMI) infected monkeys, compared with those in 8 primigravid, noninfected control monkeys. Although parasitemia levels were similar, recrudescence was more frequent and prolonged, and anemia was more severe in PMI than in NMI monkeys. During infection, CD2+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocyte levels were higher in NMI than in PMI monkeys. Monocyte and neutrophil levels were lower in PMI than in NMI monkeys. During chronic, untreated malaria, NMI monkeys had a B lymphocyte count 23 times greater than that of PMI monkeys. Pregnancy-induced immunomodulation, defined as a lack of appropriate cellular responses to malaria, was indiscernible until the immune system was challenged by a pathogen.
Davison
Billie B
BB
Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana 70433, USA. billie@tpc.tulane.edu
Kaack
M Bernice
MB
Rogers
Linda B
LB
Rasmussen
Kelsi K
KK
Rasmussen
Terri
T
Henson
Elizabeth W
EW
Montenegro
Sonia
S
Henson
Michael C
MC
Mzwaek
Fawaz
F
Krogstad
Donald J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018512:Parasitemia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000469:parasitology; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets