Neutrophils ingestion rate of nitroblue tetrazolium in asymptomatic pregnant women with malaria parasiteamia

Abstract

The possible impact of Esherichia coli infections on the neutrophils ingestion rate in pregnant women with malaria parasitaemia was evaluated in-vitro. 27 pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia and 20 pregnant women without detectable blood malaria parasites served as source of neutrophils used for the co-morbidity test. The ability of the isolated neutrophils in both groups to ingest Nitroblue Tetrazolium dye was determined. The result showed that isolated neutrophils from asymptomatic pregnant women with malaria parasiteamia in the presence of E. coli endotoxin, resulted in significantly raised formazan generation compared with isolated neutrophils from pregnant women without malaria parasiteamia (p<0.05). Similarly, the rate of formazan generated by isolated neutrophils from pregnant women with malaria parasiteamia in the presence of E. coli endotoxin was significantly higher than formazan generated by the isolated neutrophils from same subjects without exposure to E. coli endotoxin (p<0.05). This study suggests that the presence of E. coli endotoxin could trigger aggressive antigen phagocytosis in pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria parasiteamia. This could have far reaching consequences in pregnancy. The possibility of co-morbidity of E. coli infection in malaria parasiteamia pregnant women in malaria endemic regions such as Nigeria is discussed.

Keywords: malaria, phagocytes, nitroblue-tetrazolium, E. coli-endotoxin.

Journal of Biomedical Investigation Vol. 4 (1) 2006: pp. 19-22