Background
Methods
Subjects
Sampling procedure
Malaria status
HIV status
Markers of haematological status
Markers of inflammation
Markers of chronic foetal hypoxia
Ethical approval
Statistical analyses
Malaria infection in any compartment | Compartment | Total cases | Placental diagnostic method (# positive cases) | Total cases | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Present | 42 | Maternal malaria only | 10 | ||
Maternal and placental malaria | 19 | Thick smear | 1 | ||
Histopathology | 5 | ||||
Both | 13 | ||||
Placental malaria only | 13 | Thick smear | 0 | ||
Histopathology | 4 | ||||
Both | 9 | ||||
Absent | 48 | ||||
Total | 90 |
Malaria-infected mean ± STD (n) total n: 29 | Malaria-uninfected mean ± STD (n) total n: 61 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Age | 20.9 ± 3.2 (29) | 22.8 ± 5.2 (61) | t = 2.11, p = 0.038 |
Parity | 1.5 ± 0.9 (29) | 2.1 ± 1.5 (61) | t = 2.26, p = 0.026 |
Number of antenatal clinic visits | 4.7 ± 2.0 (29) | 5.6 ± 2.3 (61) | t = 1.78, p = 0.079 |
Maternal weight (kg) | 56.4 ± 8.4 (29) | 59.0 ± 7.4 (61) | t = 1.51, p = 0.136 |
Maternal height (cm) | 154.6 ± 6.0 (29) | 155.3 ± 4.9 (61) | t = 0.60, p = 0.552 |
BMI | 23.6 ± 2.9 (29) | 24.4 ± 2.6 (61) | t = 1.44, p = 0.153 |
MUAC (cm) | 23.7 ± 2.9 (16) | 24.6 ± 2.2 (38) | t = 1.33, p = 0.190 |
Took iron supplements | 86% (25/29) | 93% (55/59) | χ2 = 1.16, p = 0.282 |
Took antimalarial tablets | 83% (24/29) | 95% (55/58) | χ2 = 3.37, p = 0.066 |
Slept under mosquito net | 17% (5/29) | 31% (18/58) | χ2 = 1.89, p = 0.169 |
8th grade education or less | 48% (14/29) | 52% (32/61) | χ2 = 0.14, p = 0.711 |
Lived in a mud-walled house | 77% (20/26) | 69% (35/51) | χ2 = 0.58, p = 0.446 |
Mother self or formally employed | 21% (6/29) | 20% (12/61) | χ2 = 0.01, p = 0.910 |
Father self or formally employed | 92% (23/25) | 86% (44/51) | χ2 = 0.53, p = 0.468 |
Infected median (IQRa) n (total n: 29) | Uninfected median (IQR) n (total n: 61) | p | |
---|---|---|---|
Maternal
| |||
Hb (g/dL) | 10.8 (10.1 – 11.2) 29 | 12.1 (11.1 – 13.1)61 |
<0.001
b
|
sTfR (μg/ml) | 5.7 (3.8 – 9.2) 29 | 6.6 (4.9 – 9.7) 61 | 0.460 |
ferritin (ng/ml) | 95.3 (42.3 – 180.8) 29 | 16.5 (6.0 – 33.1) 61 |
0.001
b
|
TNF-α (pg/ml) | 22.9 (7.9 – 72.1) 29 | 1.8 (0.0 – 24.4) 61 |
0.001
b
|
TGF-β (ng/ml) | 11.0 (6.0 – 15.9) 29 | 15.5 (9.6 – 18.3) 55 |
0.027
|
CRP (μg/ml) | 85.0 (59.2 – 195.4) 29 | 7.6 (2.8 – 26.2) 61 |
<0.001
b
|
Epo (mU/L) | 60.6 (41.0 – 98.5) 29 | 32.7 (21.6 – 52.6) 61 |
0.001
b
|
Cord
| |||
Hb (g/dL) | 15.9 (14.5 – 16.9) 22 | 15.6 (14.5 – 17.1) 48 | 0.849 |
sTfR (μg/ml) | 6.7 (4.8 – 9.9) 29 | 7.8 (4.9 – 9.7) 60 | 0.430 |
ferritin (ng/ml) | 135.5 (66.7 – 276.3) 29 | 99.0 (39.4 – 158.7) 60 |
0.040
|
TNF-α (pg/ml) | 1.0 (0.0 – 8.4) 28 | 2.7 (0.0 – 16.6) 59 | 0.371 |
TGF-β (ng/ml) | 17.8 (13.5 – 24.0) 15 | 27.7 (20.7 – 31.9) 32 |
0.019
|
CRP (μg/ml) | 1.5 (0.7 – 1.7) 28 | 1.0 (0.0 – 1.6) 61 | 0.169 |
Epo (mU/L) | 27.1 (13.4 – 58.9) 29 | 25.8 (12.5 – 39.1) 61 | 0.641 |
Results
Study population
Infected median (IQRa) n (total n: 32) | Uninfected median (IQR) n (total n: 58) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Cord
| |||
Hb (g/dL) | 15.4 (13.7 – 16.8) 25 | 16.0 (15.0 – 17.1) 45 | p = 0.128 |
sTfR (μg/ml) | 6.7 (5.1 – 9.9) 32 | 7.7 (4.3 – 9.6) 58 | p = 0.765 |
ferritin (ng/ml) | 129.0 (61.9 – 248.6) 32 | 101.0 (41.2 – 210.8) 57 | p = 0.184 |
TNF-α (pg/ml) | 1.7 (0.0 – 5.6) 30 | 2.7 (0.0 – 15.9) 57 | p = 0.552 |
TGF-β (ng/ml) | 19.5 (15.6 – 30.3) 16 | 26.8 (17.9 – 31.8) 31 | p = 0.080 |
CRP (μg/ml) | 1.5 (0.7 – 1.6) 31 | 1.0 (0.0–1.6) 58 | p = 0.289 |
Epo (mU/L) | 25.4 (13.4 – 58.1) 32 | 27.5 (12.5 – 45.1) 58 | p = 0.940 |
Cortisol (μg/ml) | 421.0 (283.5 – 538.5) 32 | 511.0 (324.0 – 677.5) 53 | p = 0.425 |
Placenta
| |||
Cortisol (μg/ml) | 191.0 (155.5 – 251.0) 29 | 172.0 (132.0 – 248.5) 53 | p = 0.357 |
CRH (pg/ml) | 90.0 (42.5 – 126.4) 24 | 72.3 (41.5 – 116.3) 43 | p = 0.421 |