Association of Antibodies to VAR2CSA and Merozoite Antigens with Pregnancy Outcomes in Women Living in Yaounde, Cameroon.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium falciparum infections are serious in pregnant women, because VAR2CSA allows parasitized erythrocytes to sequester in the placenta, causing placental malaria (PM). In areas of endemicity, women have substantial malarial immunity prior to pregnancy, including antibodies to merozoite antigens, but produce antibodies to VAR2CSA only during pregnancy. The current study sought to determine the importance of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens in pregnant women in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where malaria transmission was relatively low. A total of 1,377 archival plasma samples collected at delivery were selected (at a 1:3 ratio of PM-positive [PM+] to PM-negative [PM-] women) and screened for antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA and 7 merozoite antigens. Results showed that many P

SUBMITTER: Lloyd YM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6105894 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature