title: Malaria, primigravidae, and antibodies: knowledge gained and future perspectives.
abstract: Pregnant women have an increased risk of malaria infection, independent of previously acquired immunity. Women in their first pregnancy and children under the age of five are the primary victims of malaria worldwide. Pregnant women develop antibodies against placenta-adhesive parasites in a parity-dependent manner. Various efforts to understand the targets, quality, and quantity of this antibody response could aid the design of an effective vaccine against placental malaria. This review focuses on the research that has led to the current understanding of the antibody response that primigravidae (PG) acquire to Plasmodium falciparum malaria and draws from this knowledge to suggest serology and PG as sentinels for malaria transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: ric.ataide@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ataíde
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Manhiça, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayor
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rogerson
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D010298:Parity; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: VAR2CSA; antibodies; epidemiology; malaria; pregnancy; primigravidae; serology; surveillance