Tetanus toxoid antibody level in asymptomatic plasmodium falciparum malaria parasiteamic pregnant women

The present study was designed to investigate if the presence of asymptomatic malaria parasiteamia in pregnant women will compromise their ability to respond to full dose of tetanus toxoid immunization during their antenatal clinic visits. Hence, 90 apparently healthy pregnant women who had completed the tetanus toxoid immunization during the current pregnancy were recruited at the antenatal clinic and were divided into two groups based on the antenatal record of malaria paras during the immunization period. Sixty (66.7%) of the pregnant women were seroreactive for Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein- (HRP)-2 while 30 (33.3%) were seronegative for Plasmodium falciparum HRP-2. The malaria parasite density range for the seroreactive group was between 322 and 1045 parasites per ml of blood. The blood concentration of Tetanus toxoid antibody response in both groups of seroreactive and seronegative HRP-2 pregnant women did not show any significant difference in tetanus toxoid antibody response (p>O.2). This result showed that the presence of asymptomatic IPlasmodium falciparum malaria parasiteamia in the pregnant women during the immunization schedule did not compromise the ability to respond to tetanus toxoid immunization. Hence asymptomatic malaria may not contribute to the prevalence of neonatal tetanus in Nigeria , however, there is need to treat these pregnant women for asymptomatic malaria when detected in order to reduce the burden of malaria on them

Relationships between P. Falciparum Density, Haptoglobin, Transferrin and Packed Cell Volume in Apparently Healthy Pregnant Women.

The present study investigates possible evidence of anaemia in apparently healthy pregnant women with P. falciparum parasiteamia. Hence, 82 apparently healthy pregnant women aged 20-39 years reporting for routine antenatal care were recruited for the study. They were screened for P. falciparum parasiteamia, those with positive P.falciparum became 'Asymptomatic group' (n=60), while those with negative P.falciparum became 'aparasitaemia group, (n=22). Further analysis made on the blood samples collected from both groups includes serum estimations of haptoglobin and transferrin and packed cell volume (PCV). The result showed no significant difference in packed cell volume, serum transferrin and haptoglobin concentrations between both groups (P>0.1 for each case). Different levels of associations were observed between P.falciparum density and packed cell volume (r = -0.3, P<0.01); haptoglobin concentration (r = -0.319, P<0.05) but no such association was observed with transferrin concentration This study shows that continued increase in P. falciparum density might affect haptoglobin metabolism and may result in anaemia