fibrin and Malaria

Malaria is associated with excessive parasitic infection of the placenta and a reduction in neonatal birthweight. This study has investigated placental cell death in women with active and past malarial infection. Term placentae, with and without malarial pathology, were obtained from women in The Gambia. Active and past malaria infections were identified in placental sections and histological examination was used to determine the number of villi, the incidence of apoptosis, syncytial degradation, fibrinoid deposition and the frequency of syncytial knots. Placentae with active malaria infection showed erythrocyte adhesion of infected cells to syncytiotrophoblast, syncytial degradation, increased syncytial knotting and, in rare cases, localized destruction of the villi. Past malarial infection was characterized by syncytiotrophoblast disruption and fibrin-type fibrinoid (FTF) deposition. Perivillous FTF deposition was consistent with increased syncytial lesions and both increased lesions and syncytial knots were associated with birthweight reductions. Active malaria infection produced no alteration in placental apoptosis. The numbers of chorionic villi remained unchanged and infiltration of inflammatory cells, although not measured directly, appeared to be non-pervasive within the infected tissue. These observations establish a direct link between malaria parasitic infection and syncytiotrophoblast damage. The placental rejection of parasite-affected syncytia may invoke structural changes to compensate for inadequate placental exchange. Syncytial destruction could have serious implications; impairing fetal growth and in some rare cases, providing a previously unrecognized pathway to congenital infection.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Apoptosis; Chorionic Villi; Female; Fibrin; Gambia; Humans; Malaria; Maternal Age; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Pregnancy, High-Risk; Trophoblasts

Antibody to fibrinogen/fibrin related products (Anti-F) was stimulated during the course of Plasmodium chabaudi, Babesia rodhaini, and Trypanosoma lewisi infections in rats. Titers of this autoantibody remained elevated in serum from rats that had recovered from each of the infections. Column chromatographic studies indicated that Anti-F was a 19S globulin, possibly IgM. During acute infections high titers of Anti-F were associated with elevated titers of cold-active hemagglutinin (CAH) and immunoconglutinin (IK) and all were associated with anemia and elevated parasitemia. Titers of Anti-F and IK, but not CAH, remained elevated in serum of recovered rats. The presence of Anti-F indicated that the coagulation system had been activated during each infection to release fibrinogen/fibrin-related products (FRP) to serve as antigen(s) for Anti-F. Since IK is antibody to the third component of fixed complement, it could be assumed that complement fixing antigen-antibody complexes were also present during the acute stage of each infection. The possibility that complexes of FRP and Anti-F could have contributed to anemia in each infection is discussed.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies; Babesiosis; Fibrin; Fibrinogen; Hemagglutinins; Malaria; Rabbits; Rats; Trypanosomiasis

Topics: Blood Cells; Blood Coagulation Disorders; Cell Nucleus; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Fibrin; Humans; Lung; Malaria; Male; Middle Aged; Staining and Labeling

Topics: Animals; Fibrin; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Haplorhini; Immunoglobulin M; Kidney; Kidney Glomerulus; Malaria; Microscopy, Electron; Nephrotic Syndrome; Plasmodium; Plasmodium malariae; Splenectomy

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Hemolytic; Autoantibodies; Autopsy; Brain; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Fibrin; Humans; Infant; Malaria; Male; Nervous System Diseases; Pigmentation; Seizures

Topics: Animals; Antigens; Basement Membrane; Complement System Proteins; Fibrin; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; gamma-Globulins; Glomerulonephritis; Humans; Immune Sera; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Kidney Glomerulus; Malaria; Plasmodium malariae; Rabbits

Topics: Blood; Fibrin; Humans; Immunologic Tests; Malaria; Plasmodium