title: Increased prevalence of intestinal helminth infection during pregnancy in a Sub-Saharan African community.
abstract: Gestation is a unique physiologic state that carries with it several immunologic consequences and results in changing susceptibility to various diseases. In contrast to the well recognized excess vulnerability of primiparous women to Plasmodium falciparum infection in areas of high malaria transmission, it is not known whether pregnancy is associated with a higher prevalence of helminth infection. In Lambaréné, Gabon, 105 pregnant women were recruited and matched with non-gravid female controls. The prevalence of intestinal helminths was 66% (n=58) in the pregnant participants and 36% (n=32) in the non-pregnant controls (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis the pregnancy status was an independent risk factor for being infected with intestinal helminths (AOR and 95% CI: 3.0 [1.4-5.9]). These data show a previously undescribed susceptibility pattern of pregnant women to intestinal helminth infection in a sub-Saharan African community.
authors.affiliation: Albert Schweitzer Hospital Medical Research Unit, Lambaréné, Gabon. a.a.adegnika@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Ayola A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adegnika
authors.forename: Selidji T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Agnandji
authors.forename: Sanders K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramharter
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breitling
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kendjo
authors.forename: Saadou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Issifou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yazdanbakhsh
authors.forename: Maryvonne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kombila
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kremsner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment