Antioxidant status and acute phase reactants in pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Malaria during pregnancy remains a public health issue. The most deadly plasmodium, Plasmodium falciparum, kills about 40% of the world's population, especially pregnant women and children under five. In pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum, MDA, CAT, H2O2, SOD, and GPx were measured as oxidative stress markers and SAA and CRP as acute-phase proteins.

METHODS: A total of 90 subjects were recruited for this study, which was subdivided into 30 pregnant women infected with malaria (PWM), 35 pregnant women not infected with malaria (PWN), and 25 healthy women without pregnancy (WWP) who served as the control groups. 5mls of venous blood was collected and dispensed into appropriate bottles for malaria parasite assessment using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and MDA, CAT, H2O2, SOD, GPx, SAA, and CRP analysis using conventional laboratory techniques. Statistical analysis was done, and P values under 0.05 were significant.

RESULTS: The PWM and PWN groups had significantly higher MDA and H2O2 values, but SOD, GPx, and CAT values were significantly lower (p<0.05). When comparing CRP and SAA levels between PWM, PWN, and control groups, both groups with pregnancy had significantly greater levels (p<0.05). A negative correlation (r = -0.442, p<0.05) was found between MDA and SAA, while positive correlations were seen between CAT and CRP, and SOD and SAA in pregnant women with malaria.

CONCLUSION: This study found that malaria during pregnancy increases oxidants and decreases antioxidant enzymes, causing oxidative stress. This study showed that CRP and SAA may indicate malaria infections.