A histochemical and immunohistochemical study of the placenta in malaria

Malaria is a highly prevalent infection in many developing countries and pregnant women are exposed to its ravages. Failure of other control measures and in view of a vaccine for malaria on the making, an understanding of the effects of malaria, especially its pathogenesis on the placenta is desirable. Eighty-seven pregnant women were studied. 41 (47%) had malaria infections and 14 (16%) neonates had congenital malaria. There were 13 (31%) mothers who had preterm deliveries and had malaria. No statistical significance was found between preterm malaria infected and non-infected mothers. Primigravid mothers had higher rates of infection compared to the multigravid. This difference was statistically significant. Low birth weight neonates were found to be more among the non-malaria infected mothers (60.9%). The mean weight differences for sixty two term placentas with and without malaria infection was not statistically significant. Eighteen placental sections were stained with Haematoxyline and Eosine stain, periodic acid silver methamine stain, antibodies for Pan leukocyte (CD45), B (CD45RA), T (CD45R0) cells and for collagen IV. Malaria parasites and pigments were found in the maternal intervillous space and fibrinoid necrosis was found to be more prevalent in the heavily infected placentas.Thickening of the trophoblastic and petal blood vessel basement membrane, a decrease in pan leukocyte, B cell and T cells infiltrates were also seen in the heavily infected placentas.