MALARIA IMMUNOLOGY AND GENETICS IN THE AMAZON (MIGIA) PROJECT

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The increased susceptibility of pregnant women to malaria and its adverse effects on the fetus are well established. However the epidemiologic factors and immunologic mechanisms associated with the complications of malaria in pregnancy are poorly understood. The Department of Loreto, Peru has experienced a re-emergence of malaria due to P. vivax and P. falciparum during the last 15 years. A high frequency of asymptomatic infections caused by both these Plasmodium species has been reported in the general population of this region indicating that despite low transmission, protective immunity to clinical malaria has developed. In a study investigating malaria infection in pregnant women living in the Amazon lowlands of Iquitos, Peru it was hypothesized that this acquired immunity is antibody mediated and protects against severe maternal and fetal complications of malaria infection during pregnancy, including placental malaria, infant low birth weight and maternal anemia. One of the goals of this project addressed in its third specific aim was to assess the frequency of both current and past placental malaria infection by histopathologic detection of malaria parasites and hemozoin deposition in placental tissue sections from women in Iquitoes. Once evaluated, the placental histopathologic findings were compared in women with evidence of malaria infection during pregnancy (postitive blood smears or PCR) to that from women with no evidence of infection during pregnancy. The goal was to determine if there is a relationship between the placental findings and malaria infection during pregnancy, antibody titers, and maternal and fetal outcomes. The Division of Pathology prepared and stained sections from placental biopsy tissue collected in Peru and Dr Davison assisted the doctoral student, Falgunee Parekh with the histopathologic evaluations. The results are being evaluated at this time and the results will be published in 2006.