Abundance of megalin and Dab2 is reduced in syncytiotrophoblast during placental malaria, which may contribute to low birth weight.

ABSTRACT: Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum contributes to ~200,000 child deaths annually, mainly due to low birth weight (LBW). Parasitized erythrocyte sequestration and consequent inflammation in the placenta are common attributes of placental malaria. The precise molecular details of placental changes leading to LBW are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that placental malaria may disturb maternofetal exchange of vitamins, lipids, and hormones mediated by the multi-ligand (n ~ 50) scavenging/signaling receptor megalin, which is abundantly expressed in placenta but was not previously analyzed in pregnancy outcomes. We studied abundance of megalin and its intracellular adaptor protein Dab2 by immunofluorescence microscopy in placental biopsies from Ugandan women with (n = 8) a

SUBMITTER: Lybbert J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4829923 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature