Impact of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> malaria infection on serum cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, pregnancy associated plasma protein-A and alpha-fetoprotein in pregnant women at Nnewi

Abstract

The present study assessed the maternal cortisol, Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations in malaria infected pregnant women. A total of 76 (40 apparently healthy pregnant and 36 malaria-infected pregnant) women aged 18-40 years were prospectively recruited. Early morning blood samples (5 ml) were collected from each subject at 1 st and 2 nd trimesters. 1 ml of whole blood was used for the diagnosis of P. falciparum malaria using malaria Plasmodium falciparum Rapid Test Device (RTD) and Giemsa stained thick blood smears for microscopic detection of P. falciparum parasites while the remaining 4 ml was centrifuged, separated and serum used for estimation of cortisol, ACTH, AFP and PAPP-A using ELISA-based method. The mean cortisol (125.80 ±30.80 ng/ml) and AFP (1.9 ±0.7 MoM) concentrations in malaria-infected pregnant women were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of normal pregnant women (86.70 ±3.30 and 1.5 ±0.7 respectively). Malaria-infected pregnant women had higher percentage of low birth weight babies (27.8%), preeclampsia (11.1%), premature rupture of membrane (11.1%), preterm delivery (30.6%), miscarriages (27.8%) and low APGAR score at one minute (2.8%). This shows the possible impact of malaria infection on pregnancy and birth outcomes. The increased cortisol concentration in malaria infected pregnant women shows that malaria infection in pregnancy increases the stress pregnant women are exposed to but the placental defect associated with increased placental permeability to AFP is not related to the effect of the stress (cortisol) and thus does not influence birth outcomes.

Possible Impact of Select Trace Mineral Deficiency in HIV Seropositive Pregnant Women with/without Malaria Co-infection in NAUTH, Nnewi, Nigeria

“…Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in pregnant women represents an independent risk factor for maternal mortality and adverse pregnancy outcome [28]. Previous report has shown that immune hyperactivity to paternal antigens has been hypothesized to play a role in the development of hypertension in pregnancy, and the immunosuppression caused by HIV could temper the immune response at the placental site and reduce placental vasoconstriction [29]. This potential protection may be a function of the intensity of immunosuppression and may depend on the severity of HIV disease and the use of antiretroviral therapy.…”

Facteurs comportementaux et environnementaux associés au paludisme à Tourou (Bénin) en période de faible endémicité

“…Il s'agit d'une pathologie causée par cinq agents pathogènes (Doutoum et al, 2019) dont le Plasmodium falciparum qui est le plus responsable des cas graves de paludisme et le plus fréquemment rencontré en Afrique de l'Ouest (Bekono et al, 2020). Certains groupes de population sont plus à risque de paludisme et sont plus exposés à ses conséquences parmi lesquels on cite les enfants de moins de 5 ans, les gestantes, les personnes vivant avec le VIH, les sujets en visite dans les pays endémiques (Ukibé et al, 2019;Abossie et al, 2020). La fréquence, la sévérité et l'issue du paludisme sont influencées par les facteurs sociodémographique, environnemental, économique, culturel et comportemental (Hasyim et al, 2019).…”