ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Considerations of both inter-pregnancy intervals and malaria parasitaemia may help in understanding some aspects of susceptibility and pregnancy outcomes in malaria endemic areas. METHODS: Pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia were recruited and divided into groups based on their inter-pregnancy intervals and malaria specific-IgG, body mass index, and birth weights were studied in the groups. RESULTS: The results showed that the P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration (f=3.52, p<0.02), malaria parasites density (f=6.44, p<0.001) and birth weights (f=7.36, p<0.001) were significantly different amongst the groups with varying inter-pregnancy intervals. In addition, different levels of associations between variables such as 'inter-pregnancy intervals vs P. falciparum specific-IgG concentration' (r = 0.23, p<0.05); 'malaria parasites density vs birth weight' (r = -0.84, p < 0.01) was observed. INTERPRETATIONS & CONCLUSION: This study suggests that inter-pregnancy intervals could be one of the factors influencing dynamic serum concentrations of P. falciparum specific-IgG while malaria parasitaemia could be one of the factors affecting birth weights. Hence, observance of inter-pregnancy intervals has its own implications in malaria endemic areas.
Subject(s)
Analysis of Variance , Azure Stains , Birth Intervals , Birth Weight , Body Mass Index , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Malaria, Falciparum/immunology , Nigeria , Parasitemia/immunology , PregnancyABSTRACT
Serum complement(C3); proteins and circulating immune complex levels were estimated in Nigerians having primary liver cell carcinoma and control subjects by immunodiffusion in agar; biuret and polyethylene glycol precipitation methods respectively. There is however no correlation between the complement (C3) concentrations and the serum levels of immune complexes