Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil
Abstract Background Pregnant women have increased susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria and acquire protective antibodies over successive pregnancies. Most studies that investigated malaria antibody responses in pregnant women are from high transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa, while r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Malaria Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04402-4 |
| _version_ | 1811190371350216704 |
|---|---|
| author | Meseret W. Kassa Wina Hasang André Barateiro Timon Damelang Jessica Brewster Jamille G. Dombrowski Rhea J. Longley Amy W. Chung Gerhard Wunderlich Ivo Mueller Elizabeth H. Aitken Claudio R. F. Marinho Stephen J. Rogerson |
| author_facet | Meseret W. Kassa Wina Hasang André Barateiro Timon Damelang Jessica Brewster Jamille G. Dombrowski Rhea J. Longley Amy W. Chung Gerhard Wunderlich Ivo Mueller Elizabeth H. Aitken Claudio R. F. Marinho Stephen J. Rogerson |
| author_sort | Meseret W. Kassa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Pregnant women have increased susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria and acquire protective antibodies over successive pregnancies. Most studies that investigated malaria antibody responses in pregnant women are from high transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa, while reports from Latin America are scarce and inconsistent. The present study sought to explore the development of antibodies against P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low transmission area in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods In a prospective cohort study, plasma samples from 408 pregnant women (of whom 111 were infected with P. falciparum, 96 had infections with P. falciparum and P. vivax, and 201 had no Plasmodium infection) were used to measure antibody levels. Levels of IgG and opsonizing antibody to pregnancy-specific variant surface antigens (VSAs) on infected erythrocytes (IEs), 10 recombinant VAR2CSA Duffy binding like (DBL domains), 10 non-pregnancy-specific P. falciparum merozoite antigens, and 10 P. vivax antigens were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, and multiplex assays. Antibody levels and seropositivity among the groups were compared. Results Antibodies to VSAs on P. falciparum IEs were generally low but were higher in currently infected women and women with multiple P. falciparum episodes over pregnancy. Many women (21%-69%) had antibodies against each individual VAR2CSA DBL domain, and antibodies to DBLs correlated with each other (r ≥ 0.55, p < 0.0001), but not with antibody to VSA or history of infection. Infection with either malaria species was associated with higher seropositivity rate for antibodies against P. vivax proteins, adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) ranged from 5.6 (3.2, 9.7), p < 0.0001 for PVDBPII-Sal1 to 15.7 (8.3, 29.7), p < 0.0001 for PvTRAg_2. Conclusions Pregnant Brazilian women had low levels of antibodies to pregnancy-specific VSAs that increased with exposure. They frequently recognized both VAR2CSA DBL domains and P. vivax antigens, but only the latter varied with infection. Apparent antibody prevalence is highly dependent on the assay platform used. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:49:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-145769ab7c974e88849fdad194847212 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:49:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-145769ab7c974e88849fdad1948472122022-12-22T04:17:32ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752022-12-0121111410.1186/s12936-022-04402-4Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of BrazilMeseret W. Kassa0Wina Hasang1André Barateiro2Timon Damelang3Jessica Brewster4Jamille G. Dombrowski5Rhea J. Longley6Amy W. Chung7Gerhard Wunderlich8Ivo Mueller9Elizabeth H. Aitken10Claudio R. F. Marinho11Stephen J. Rogerson12Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, University of MelbournePopulation Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchDepartment of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloPopulation Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, University of MelbourneDepartment of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloPopulation Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityAbstract Background Pregnant women have increased susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria and acquire protective antibodies over successive pregnancies. Most studies that investigated malaria antibody responses in pregnant women are from high transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa, while reports from Latin America are scarce and inconsistent. The present study sought to explore the development of antibodies against P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low transmission area in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods In a prospective cohort study, plasma samples from 408 pregnant women (of whom 111 were infected with P. falciparum, 96 had infections with P. falciparum and P. vivax, and 201 had no Plasmodium infection) were used to measure antibody levels. Levels of IgG and opsonizing antibody to pregnancy-specific variant surface antigens (VSAs) on infected erythrocytes (IEs), 10 recombinant VAR2CSA Duffy binding like (DBL domains), 10 non-pregnancy-specific P. falciparum merozoite antigens, and 10 P. vivax antigens were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, and multiplex assays. Antibody levels and seropositivity among the groups were compared. Results Antibodies to VSAs on P. falciparum IEs were generally low but were higher in currently infected women and women with multiple P. falciparum episodes over pregnancy. Many women (21%-69%) had antibodies against each individual VAR2CSA DBL domain, and antibodies to DBLs correlated with each other (r ≥ 0.55, p < 0.0001), but not with antibody to VSA or history of infection. Infection with either malaria species was associated with higher seropositivity rate for antibodies against P. vivax proteins, adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) ranged from 5.6 (3.2, 9.7), p < 0.0001 for PVDBPII-Sal1 to 15.7 (8.3, 29.7), p < 0.0001 for PvTRAg_2. Conclusions Pregnant Brazilian women had low levels of antibodies to pregnancy-specific VSAs that increased with exposure. They frequently recognized both VAR2CSA DBL domains and P. vivax antigens, but only the latter varied with infection. Apparent antibody prevalence is highly dependent on the assay platform used.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04402-4Pregnancy malariaAntibodyP. falciparumP. vivaxLow transmission |
| spellingShingle | Meseret W. Kassa Wina Hasang André Barateiro Timon Damelang Jessica Brewster Jamille G. Dombrowski Rhea J. Longley Amy W. Chung Gerhard Wunderlich Ivo Mueller Elizabeth H. Aitken Claudio R. F. Marinho Stephen J. Rogerson Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil Malaria Journal Pregnancy malaria Antibody P. falciparum P. vivax Low transmission |
| title | Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil |
| title_full | Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil |
| title_short | Acquisition of antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of Brazil |
| title_sort | acquisition of antibodies to plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax antigens in pregnant women living in a low malaria transmission area of brazil |
| topic | Pregnancy malaria Antibody P. falciparum P. vivax Low transmission |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04402-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meseretwkassa acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT winahasang acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT andrebarateiro acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT timondamelang acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT jessicabrewster acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT jamillegdombrowski acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT rheajlongley acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT amywchung acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT gerhardwunderlich acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT ivomueller acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT elizabethhaitken acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT claudiorfmarinho acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil AT stephenjrogerson acquisitionofantibodiestoplasmodiumfalciparumandplasmodiumvivaxantigensinpregnantwomenlivinginalowmalariatransmissionareaofbrazil |