Blood cytokine, chemokine and growth factor profiling in a cohort of pregnant women from tropical countries.

The immune status of women changes during and after pregnancy, differs between blood compartments at delivery and is affected by environmental factors particularly in tropical areas endemic for multiple infections. We quantified the plasma concentration of a set of thirty-one TH1, TH2, TH17 and regulatory cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and growth factors (altogether biomarkers), in a cohort of 540 pregnant women from five malaria-endemic tropical countries. Samples were collected at recruitment (first antenatal visit), delivery (periphery, cord and placenta) and postpartum, allowing a longitudinal analysis. We found the lowest concentration of biomarkers at recruitment and the highest at postpartum, with few exceptions. Among them, IL-6, HGF and TGF-ß had the highest levels at delivery, and even higher concentrations in the placenta compared to peripheral blood. Placental concentrations were generally higher than peripheral, except for eotaxin that was lower. We also compared plasma biomarker concentrations between the tropical cohort and a control group from Spain at delivery, presenting overall higher biomarker levels the tropical cohort, particularly pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Only IL-6 presented lower levels in the tropical group. Moreover, a principal component analysis of biomarker concentrations at delivery showed that women from Spain grouped more homogenously, and that IL-6 and IL-8 clustered together in the tropical cohort but not in the Spanish one. Plasma cytokine concentrations correlated with Plasmodium antibody levels at postpartum but not during pregnancy. This basal profiling of immune mediators over gestation and in different compartments at delivery is important to subsequently understand response to infections and clinical outcomes in mothers and infants in tropical areas.

The Challenge of Assessing Microcephaly in the Context of the Zika Virus Epidemic.

The present article examines the impact of the current limitations of the microcephaly definition in the context of the Zika virus outbreak. It highlights its dependence on the method used for determining gestational age and other anthropometric parameters, and includes original results of prevalence of microcephaly in four countries from two different continents (Mozambique, Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia). Alternative definitions of microcephaly are proposed to allow the identification of true cases of microcephaly in a more accurate manner.

Ultrasound findings in pregnant women with uncomplicated vivax malaria in the Brazilian Amazon: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy, Plasmodium falciparum-induced malaria can cause placental lesions and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). There are few published studies on Plasmodium vivax-induced malaria in pregnancy. Ultrasound is an efficient method for evaluating foetal biometry and placenta. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of increased placental thickness, foetal biometry and the amniotic fluid via ultrasound in a cohort of pregnant women with vivax malaria in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted among 118 pregnant women with vivax malaria and 191 pregnant women without malaria. Foetal biometry, placental thicknesses and the amniotic fluid were evaluated via ultrasound. Biometric data were distributed by the trimester in which the infection occurred and converted to Z scores. The results were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among pregnant women from the cohort, increased placental thickness was observed in ten women with malaria (8.5 vs 0%; p <0.001). The Z scores of biometric parameters were not statistically significant when comparing the groups or according to the time of infection. In ultrasound results of the 118 pregnant women with malaria, seven (6%) showed low foetal weight, two (1.7%) showed oligohydramnios and one (0.85%) showed foetal malformation. There was no significant difference when these variables were compared to those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The placental thickness changes were significant but caused no foetal repercussions at birth. The ultrasound findings except placental thickness were similar in both groups, possibly because this is a low-endemic area and the pregnant women in the study were followed up in an active detection system that allowed early diagnosis and treatment of new malaria episodes.

Prone positioning in awake patients without ventilatory support does not alter major clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19: results from a retrospective observational cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: During the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, clinicians recommended awake-prone positioning (APP) to avoid the worst outcomes. The objectives of this study were to investigate if APP reduces intubation, death rates, and hospital length of stay (HLOS) in acute COVID-19. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort with non-mechanically ventilated patients hospitalized in a reference center in Manaus, Brazil, 2020. Participants were stratified into APP and awake-not-prone positioning (ANPP) groups. Also, we conducted a systematic review and performed a meta-analysis to understand if this intervention had different outcomes in resource-limited settings (PROSPERO CRD42023422452). RESULTS: A total of 115 participants were allocated into the groups. There was no statistical difference between both groups regarding time to intubation (HR: 0.861; 95CI: 0.474-1.1562; p=0.622) and time to death (HR: 1.666; 95CI: 0.939-2.951; p=0.081). APP was not significantly associated with reduced HLOS. A total of 86 articles were included in the systematic review, of which 76 (88,3%) show similar findings after APP. Also, low/middle, and high-income countries were similar regarding such outcomes. CONCLUSION: APP in COVID-19 does not present clinical improvement that affects mortality, intubation rate and HLOS. The lack of a prone position protocol, obtained through a controlled study, is necessary. After 3 years, APP benefits are still inconclusive.

Understanding the clinical spectrum of complicated Plasmodium vivax malaria: a systematic review on the contributions of the Brazilian literature.

The resurgence of the malaria eradication agenda and the increasing number of severe manifestation reports has contributed to a renewed interested in the Plasmodium vivax infection. It is the most geographically widespread parasite causing human malaria, with around 2.85 billion people living under risk of infection. The Brazilian Amazon region reports more than 50% of the malaria cases in Latin America and since 1990 there is a marked predominance of this species, responsible for 85% of cases in 2009. However, only a few complicated cases of P. vivax have been reported from this region. A systematic review of the Brazilian indexed and non-indexed literature on complicated cases of vivax malaria was performed including published articles, masters' dissertations, doctoral theses and national congresses' abstracts. The following information was retrieved: patient characteristics (demographic, presence of co-morbidities and, whenever possible, associated genetic disorders); description of each major clinical manifestation. As a result, 27 articles, 28 abstracts from scientific events' annals and 13 theses/dissertations were found, only after 1987. Most of the reported information was described in small case series and case reports of patients from all the Amazonian states, and also in travellers from Brazilian non-endemic areas. The more relevant clinical complications were anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, jaundice and acute respiratory distress syndrome, present in all age groups, in addition to other more rare clinical pictures. Complications in pregnant women were also reported. Acute and chronic co-morbidities were frequent, however death was occasional. Clinical atypical cases of malaria are more frequent than published in the indexed literature, probably due to a publication bias. In the Brazilian Amazon (considered to be a low to moderate intensity area of transmission), clinical data are in accordance with the recent findings of severity described in diverse P. vivax endemic areas (especially anaemia in Southeast Asia), however in this region both children and adults are affected. Finally, gaps of knowledge and areas for future research are opportunely pointed out.

Gestational malaria associated to Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum placental mixed-infection followed by foetal loss: a case report from an unstable transmission area in Brazil.

Gestational malaria is a multi-factorial syndrome leading to poor outcomes for both the mother and foetus. Although an unusual increasing in the number of hospitalizations caused by Plasmodium vivax has been reported in Brazil, mortality is rarely observed. This is a report of a gestational malaria case that occurred in the city of Manaus (Amazonas State, Brazil) and resulted in foetal loss. The patient presented placental mixed-infection by Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum after diagnosis by nested-PCR, however microscopic analysis failed to detect P. falciparum in the peripheral blood. Furthermore, as the patient did not receive proper treatment for P. falciparum and hospitalization occurred soon after drug treatment, it seems that P. falciparum pathology was modulated by the concurrent presence of P. vivax. Collectively, this case confirms the tropism towards the placenta by both of these species of parasites, reinforces the notion that co-existence of distinct malaria parasites interferes on diseases' outcomes, and opens discussions regarding diagnostic methods, malaria treatment during pregnancy and prenatal care for women living in unstable transmission areas of malaria, such as the Brazilian Amazon.

Cytokine signatures of Plasmodium vivax infection during pregnancy and delivery outcomes.

Plasmodium vivax malaria is a neglected disease, particularly during pregnancy. Severe vivax malaria is associated with inflammatory responses but in pregnancy immune alterations make it uncertain as to what cytokine signatures predominate, and how the type and quantity of blood immune mediators influence delivery outcomes. We measured the plasma concentrations of a set of thirty-one biomarkers, comprising cytokines, chemokines and growth factors, in 987 plasma samples from a cohort of 572 pregnant women from five malaria-endemic tropical countries and related these concentrations to delivery outcomes (birth weight and hemoglobin levels) and malaria infection. Samples were collected at recruitment (first antenatal visit) and at delivery (periphery, cord and placenta). At recruitment, we found that P. vivax-infected pregnant women had higher plasma concentrations of proinflammatory (IL-6, IL-1ß, CCL4, CCL2, CXCL10) and TH1-related cytokines (mainly IL-12) than uninfected women. This biomarker signature was essentially lost at delivery and was not associated with birth weight nor hemoglobin levels. Antiinflammatory cytokines (IL-10) were positively associated with infection and poor delivery outcomes. CCL11 was the only biomarker to show a negative association with P. vivax infection and its concentration at recruitment was positively associated with hemoglobin levels at delivery. Birth weight was negatively associated with peripheral IL-4 levels at delivery. Our multi-biomarker multicenter study is the first comprehensive one to characterize the immunological signature of P. vivax infection in pregnancy thus far. In conclusion, data show that while TH1 and pro-inflammatory responses are dominant during P. vivax infection in pregnancy, antiinflammatory cytokines may compensate excessive inflammation avoiding poor delivery outcomes, and skewness toward a TH2 response may trigger worse delivery outcomes. CCL11, a chemokine largely neglected in the field of malaria, emerges as an important marker of exposure or mediator in this condition.

Infectious diseases in paediatric pathology: experience from a developing country.

Infectious and parasitic diseases have always challenged man. Although many of them are typically seen in some areas of the world and can be adequately managed by just improving socioeconomic status and sanitary conditions, they are still quite prevalent and may sometimes be seen outside their original geographical areas. Human migration due to different reasons, tourism, blood transfusion and solid organ transplantation has created new concerns for health professionals all over the world. If not for diagnostic purposes, at least these tropical and infectious diseases should be largely known because their epidemiology, pathogenesis, host/parasite interaction, inflammatory and reparative responses are quite interesting and teach us about human biology. Curiosity is inherent to pathology practice and so we are compelled to look for things other than tumours or degenerative diseases. This review focuses on infectious and parasitic diseases found in a developing country and brings up-to-date information on diseases caused by viruses (dengue, yellow fever), bacteria (typhoid fever, leprosy), parasites (Chagas' disease, cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, Capillaria hepatica, schistosomiasis, cysticercosis) and caused by fungi (paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis) that may be useful for pathologists when facing somewhat strange cases from developing countries.

Naturally Acquired Binding-Inhibitory Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein in Pregnant Women Are Associated with Higher Birth Weight in a Multicenter Study.

A vaccine to eliminate malaria would need a multi-stage and multi-species composition to achieve robust protection, but the lack of knowledge about antigen targets and mechanisms of protection precludes the development of fully efficacious malaria vaccines, especially for Plasmodium vivax (Pv). Pregnant women constitute a risk population who would greatly benefit from a vaccine preventing the adverse events of Plasmodium infection during gestation. We hypothesized that functional immune responses against putative targets of naturally acquired immunity to malaria and vaccine candidates will be associated with protection against malaria infection and/or poor outcomes during pregnancy. We measured (i) IgG responses to a large panel of Pv and Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) antigens, (ii) the capacity of anti-Pv ligand Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) antibodies to inhibit binding to Duffy antigen, and (iii) cellular immune responses to two Pv antigens, in a subset of 1,056 pregnant women from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, India, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). There were significant intraspecies and interspecies correlations for most antibody responses (e.g., PfMSP119 versus PfAMA1, Spearman's rho = 0.81). Women from PNG and Colombia had the highest levels of IgG overall. Submicroscopic infections seemed sufficient to boost antibody responses in Guatemala but not antigen-specific cellular responses in PNG. Brazil had the highest percentage of Duffy binding inhibition (p-values versus Colombia: 0.040; Guatemala: 0.047; India: 0.003, and PNG: 0.153) despite having low anti-PvDBP IgG levels. Almost all antibodies had a positive association with present infection, and coinfection with the other species increased this association. Anti-PvDBP, anti-PfMSP1, and anti-PfAMA1 IgG levels at recruitment were positively associated with infection at delivery (p-values: 0.010, 0.003, and 0.023, respectively), suggesting that they are markers of malaria exposure. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Pv-infected women presented fewer CD8+IFN-γ+ T cells and secreted more G-CSF and IL-4 independently of the stimulus used in vitro. Functional anti-PvDBP levels at recruitment had a positive association with birth weight (difference per doubling antibody levels: 45 g, p-value: 0.046). Thus, naturally acquired binding-inhibitory antibodies to PvDBP might confer protection against poor outcomes of Pv malaria in pregnancy.

Plasmodium vivax VIR Proteins Are Targets of Naturally-Acquired Antibody and T Cell Immune Responses to Malaria in Pregnant Women.

P. vivax infection during pregnancy has been associated with poor outcomes such as anemia, low birth weight and congenital malaria, thus representing an important global health problem. However, no vaccine is currently available for its prevention. Vir genes were the first putative virulent factors associated with P. vivax infections, yet very few studies have examined their potential role as targets of immunity. We investigated the immunogenic properties of five VIR proteins and two long synthetic peptides containing conserved VIR sequences (PvLP1 and PvLP2) in the context of the PregVax cohort study including women from five malaria endemic countries: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, India and Papua New Guinea (PNG) at different timepoints during and after pregnancy. Antibody responses against all antigens were detected in all populations, with PNG women presenting the highest levels overall. P. vivax infection at sample collection time was positively associated with antibody levels against PvLP1 (fold-increase: 1.60 at recruitment -first antenatal visit-) and PvLP2 (fold-increase: 1.63 at delivery), and P. falciparum co-infection was found to increase those responses (for PvLP1 at recruitment, fold-increase: 2.25). Levels of IgG against two VIR proteins at delivery were associated with higher birth weight (27 g increase per duplicating antibody levels, p<0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from PNG uninfected pregnant women had significantly higher antigen-specific IFN-γ TH1 responses (p=0.006) and secreted less pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 after PvLP2 stimulation than P. vivax-infected women (p<0.05). These data demonstrate that VIR antigens induce the natural acquisition of antibody and T cell memory responses that might be important in immunity to P. vivax during pregnancy in very diverse geographical settings.

Effects of vivax malaria acquired before 20 weeks of pregnancy on subsequent changes in fetal growth.

The resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), fetal biometry, fetal heart rate (FHR), placental thickness, and hemoglobin levels were compared in 30 Plasmodium vivax-infected women between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy and a control group. Evaluations were performed at the moment of the malaria diagnosis and 26 weeks of pregnancy. The malaria group had lower levels of hemoglobin and greater placental thickness in both assessments, higher FHR in the first evaluation, and lower values on fetal biometry in the second assessment. There were no differences when comparing RI and PI on umbilical arteries between the two groups. Birth weight and height were lower in newborns in the malaria group than the control group. The results suggest that P. vivax infections at an earlier gestational age do not affect umbilical arteries blood flow but do affect fetal biometry in the second trimester of pregnancy and at birth.

Rosetting in Plasmodium vivax: a cytoadhesion phenotype associated with anaemia.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax can potentially lead to life-threatening episodes but the mechanisms underlying severe disease remain poorly defined. Cytoadhesion of infected erythrocytes may contribute to P. vivax sequestration and organ injury although its physiological impact is still unknown. Here, we aimed to describe clinically-relevant cytoadhesive phenotypes of P. vivax isolates. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Rosetting and adhesion to CSA, CD36, ICAM1, placental and brain cryosections were determined in P. vivax peripheral isolates from 12 pregnant women, 24 non-pregnant women and 23 men from Manaus (Brazil). P. falciparum co-infection was excluded by PCR and P. vivax isolates were genotyped by assessing the size polymorphism of microsatellites ms2, ms20 and msp1F3 through capillary electrophoresis of PCR products. P. vivax monoinfection was confirmed by PCR in 59 isolates, with 50 (85%) of them being single-clone infections. One P. vivax haplotype was more frequently found among pregnant women (33%) than in non-pregnant women (0%) and men (4%; p=0.010). Rosetting was observed in 64% of the isolates, adhesion to CSA in 15%, to ICAM1 in 12% and to placental cryosections in 9%, being similar among pregnant and non-pregnant groups. Intensity of rosetting was higher among anaemic individuals compared to non-anaemic (p=0.010) and decreased with increasing haematocrit (p=0.033) and haemoglobin levels (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: P. vivax peripheral isolates from pregnant women do not exhibit a prominent adhesion to CSA, although other parasite phenotypes still unknown may increase the propagation of certain P. vivax clones observed among pregnant hosts. Rosetting is a frequent cytoadhesive phenotype in P. vivax infections that may contribute to the development of anaemia.

Understanding the clinical spectrum of complicated Plasmodium vivax malaria: a systematic review on the contributions of the Brazilian literature

ABSTRACT: The resurgence of the malaria eradication agenda and the increasing number of severe manifestation reports has contributed to a renewed interested in the Plasmodium vivax infection. It is the most geographically widespread parasite causing human malaria, with around 2.85 billion people living under risk of infection. The Brazilian Amazon region reports more than 50 per cent of the malaria cases in Latin America and since 1990 there is a marked predominance of this species, responsible for 85 per cent of cases in 2009. However, only a few complicated cases of P. vivax have been reported from this region. A systematic review of the Brazilian indexed and non-indexed literature on complicated cases of vivax malaria was performed including published articles, masters' dissertations, doctoral theses and national congresses' abstracts. The following information was retrieved: patient characteristics (demographic, presence of co-morbidities and, whenever possible, associated genetic disorders); description of each major clinical manifestation. As a result, 27 articles, 28 abstracts from scientific events' annals and 13 theses/dissertations were found, only after 1987. Most of the reported information was described in small case series and case reports of patients from all the Amazonian states, and also in travellers from Brazilian non-endemic areas. The more relevant clinical complications were anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, jaundice and acute respiratory distress syndrome, present in all age groups, in addition to other more rare clinical pictures...(AU)

Conhecimentos e práticas associadas à prevenção da malária entre moradores de uma área de alto risco epidemiológico na Amazônia brasileira

Projetos integrados para o controle da malária requerem estratégias educativas que promovam práticas preventivas entre os moradores das áreas endêmicas. A investigação dos conhecimentos prévios da população representam uma linha de base para avaliações posteriores das ações implementadas durante os processos participativos de educação e mobilização. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo seccional no município de Barcelos, área altamente endêmica para malária com presença de infecção assintomática e de difícil acesso. Foram entrevistados 145 adultos aplicando um questionário semi-estruturado sobre conhecimentos de formas de transmissão, manifestações clínicas e mecanismos de prevenção e controle. Resultados: Embora 98,6% dos indivíduos já tivessem sofrido pelo menos um episódio prévio da doença só 13,1% tinham conhecimentos sobre formas de prevenção e 23,4% acreditavam que a comunidade é responsável por evitar a malária. Somente 24,1% tinham usado um mosquiteiro para dormir na noite anterior à entrevista, sendo que desses, 65,7% haviam compartilhado o mosquiteiro com outro membro da casa. Conclusões: Os conhecimentos sobre malária foram escassos; apesar de associar a transmissão com a presença de um mosquito, esse não é percebido como agente vetor de um parasita. O papel da escola no processo educativo é muito limitado. É fundamental a inclusão do tema no currículo escolar que se articule transversalmente com os serviços de saúde e que permita que a comunidade educativa conheça melhor sua realidade em relação à prevenção da malária e promoção da saúde.

Infectious diseases in paediatric pathology: experience from a developing country

Infectious and parasitic diseases have always challenged man. Although many of them are typically seen in some areas of the world and can be adequately managed by just improving socioeconomic status and sanitary conditions, they are still quite prevalent and may sometimes be seen outside their original geographical areas. Human migration due to different reasons, tourism, blood transfusion and solid organ transplantation has created new concerns for health professionals all over the world. If not for diagnostic purposes, at least these tropical and infectious diseases should be largely known because their epidemiology, pathogenesis, host/parasite interaction, inflammatory and reparative responses are quite interesting and teach us about human biology. Curiosity is inherent to pathology practice and so we are compelled to look for things other than tumours or degenerative diseases. This review focuses on infectious and parasitic diseases found in a developing country and brings up-to-date information on diseases caused by viruses (dengue, yellow fever), bacteria (typhoid fever, leprosy), parasites (Chagas' disease, cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, Capillaria hepatica, schistosomiasis, cysticercosis) and caused by fungi (paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis) that may be useful for pathologists when facing somewhat strange cases from developing countries.