Association of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens with pregnancy outcomes in women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Yukie M. Lloyd; Rui Fang; Naveen Bobbili; Koko Vanda; Elise Ngati; Maria J. Sanchez-Quintero; Ali Salanti; John J. Chen; Rose G. Rose; Diane W. Taylor

doi:10.1128/iai.00166-18

Association of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens with pregnancy outcomes in women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Yukie M. Lloyd^*, Rui Fang, Naveen Bobbili, Koko Vanda, Elise Ngati, Maria J. Sanchez-Quintero, Ali Salanti, John J. Chen, Rose G. Rose, Diane W. Taylor

^*Corresponding author for this work

5 Citations (Scopus)

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 PM+ women and most PM- women lacked antibodies to VAR2CSA at delivery. Among PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with a reduced risk of having high placental parasitemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.432; confidence interval [CI], 0.272, 0.687; P = 0.0004) and low-birth-weight (LBW) babies (OR = 0.444; CI, 0.247, 0.799; P = 0.0068), even during first pregnancies. Among antibodies to the 7 merozoite antigens, i.e., AMA1, EBA-175, MSP1₄₂, MSP2, MSP3, MSP11, and Pf41, only antibodies to MSP3, EBA-175, and Pf41 were associated with reduced risk for high placental parasitemias (P = 0.0389, 0.0291, and 0.0211, respectively) and antibodies to EBA-175 were associated with reduced risk of premature deliveries (P = 0.0211). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons significance declined. Thus, in PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with lower placental parasitemias and reduced prevalence of LBW babies in this low-transmission setting.

Original language	English
Article number	e00166-18
Journal	Infection and Immunity
Volume	86
Issue number	9
ISSN	0019-9567
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00166-18
Publication status	Published - 2018

Keywords

Antibody
Cameroon
IgG
Immunity
Low transmission
Malaria
Merozoite
Plasmodium falciparum
Pregnancy
VAR2CSA

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1128/iai.00166-18

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@article{deab25c9250345a188040b8dad495892,

title = "Association of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens with pregnancy outcomes in women living in Yaound{\'e}, 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 Yaound{\'e}, 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 PM+ women and most PM- women lacked antibodies to VAR2CSA at delivery. Among PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with a reduced risk of having high placental parasitemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.432; confidence interval [CI], 0.272, 0.687; P = 0.0004) and low-birth-weight (LBW) babies (OR = 0.444; CI, 0.247, 0.799; P = 0.0068), even during first pregnancies. Among antibodies to the 7 merozoite antigens, i.e., AMA1, EBA-175, MSP142, MSP2, MSP3, MSP11, and Pf41, only antibodies to MSP3, EBA-175, and Pf41 were associated with reduced risk for high placental parasitemias (P = 0.0389, 0.0291, and 0.0211, respectively) and antibodies to EBA-175 were associated with reduced risk of premature deliveries (P = 0.0211). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons significance declined. Thus, in PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with lower placental parasitemias and reduced prevalence of LBW babies in this low-transmission setting.",

keywords = "Antibody, Cameroon, IgG, Immunity, Low transmission, Malaria, Merozoite, Plasmodium falciparum, Pregnancy, VAR2CSA",

author = "Lloyd, {Yukie M.} and Rui Fang and Naveen Bobbili and Koko Vanda and Elise Ngati and Sanchez-Quintero, {Maria J.} and Ali Salanti and Chen, {John J.} and Rose, {Rose G.} and Taylor, {Diane W.}",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1128/iai.00166-18",

language = "English",

volume = "86",

journal = "Infection and Immunity",

issn = "0019-9567",

publisher = "American Society for Microbiology",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Association of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens with pregnancy outcomes in women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon

AU - Lloyd, Yukie M.

AU - Fang, Rui

AU - Bobbili, Naveen

AU - Vanda, Koko

AU - Ngati, Elise

AU - Sanchez-Quintero, Maria J.

AU - Salanti, Ali

AU - Chen, John J.

AU - Rose, Rose G.

AU - Taylor, Diane W.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - 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 PM+ women and most PM- women lacked antibodies to VAR2CSA at delivery. Among PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with a reduced risk of having high placental parasitemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.432; confidence interval [CI], 0.272, 0.687; P = 0.0004) and low-birth-weight (LBW) babies (OR = 0.444; CI, 0.247, 0.799; P = 0.0068), even during first pregnancies. Among antibodies to the 7 merozoite antigens, i.e., AMA1, EBA-175, MSP142, MSP2, MSP3, MSP11, and Pf41, only antibodies to MSP3, EBA-175, and Pf41 were associated with reduced risk for high placental parasitemias (P = 0.0389, 0.0291, and 0.0211, respectively) and antibodies to EBA-175 were associated with reduced risk of premature deliveries (P = 0.0211). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons significance declined. Thus, in PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with lower placental parasitemias and reduced prevalence of LBW babies in this low-transmission setting.

AB - 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 PM+ women and most PM- women lacked antibodies to VAR2CSA at delivery. Among PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with a reduced risk of having high placental parasitemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.432; confidence interval [CI], 0.272, 0.687; P = 0.0004) and low-birth-weight (LBW) babies (OR = 0.444; CI, 0.247, 0.799; P = 0.0068), even during first pregnancies. Among antibodies to the 7 merozoite antigens, i.e., AMA1, EBA-175, MSP142, MSP2, MSP3, MSP11, and Pf41, only antibodies to MSP3, EBA-175, and Pf41 were associated with reduced risk for high placental parasitemias (P = 0.0389, 0.0291, and 0.0211, respectively) and antibodies to EBA-175 were associated with reduced risk of premature deliveries (P = 0.0211). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons significance declined. Thus, in PM+ women, antibodies to VAR2CSA were associated with lower placental parasitemias and reduced prevalence of LBW babies in this low-transmission setting.

KW - Antibody

KW - Cameroon

KW - IgG

KW - Immunity

KW - Low transmission

KW - Malaria

KW - Merozoite

KW - Plasmodium falciparum

KW - Pregnancy

KW - VAR2CSA

U2 - 10.1128/iai.00166-18

DO - 10.1128/iai.00166-18

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29986889

AN - SCOPUS:85052749956

SN - 0019-9567

VL - 86

JO - Infection and Immunity

JF - Infection and Immunity

IS - 9

M1 - e00166-18

ER -

Association of antibodies to VAR2CSA and merozoite antigens with pregnancy outcomes in women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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