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High numbers of circulating pigmented polymorphonuclear neutrophils as a prognostic marker for decreased birth weight during malaria in pregnancy

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.12.002Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The prognostic value of pigmented leukocyte counts in gestational malaria was tested.

  • We determined circulating pigmented leukocyte counts at enrolment in infected women.

  • Circulating pigmented neutrophil numbers correlated negatively with birthweight.

  • Identifying women with high pigmented neutrophil numbers might improve outcomes.

Abstract

During gestational malaria, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes can sequester within the placenta, contributing to poor pregnancy outcomes, especially low birth weight. In children and non-pregnant adults, pigmented leukocytes may serve as markers of sequestered parasite burden and predict clinical outcomes. Here, we investigated circulating pigmented leukocyte numbers as predictors of clinical outcomes in pregnant women presenting with malaria at enrolment. The number of circulating pigmented neutrophils at enrolment negatively correlated with birth weight (Rho = −25, P = .04), suggesting these cells may have a pathogenic role in, and could serve as prognostic markers for, malaria-associated low birth weight.

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the women who participated in the study as well as all the clinical, nursing and support staff involved. L.J. Robinson is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (Number 1016443).

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  • 1

    Current affiliation: Glycomics Institute, Griffith University, Australia.

    2

    Current affiliation: Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. Tel. +61 (3) 8506 2446.

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