Placental Malaria

Overview

Journal Curr Trop Med Rep

Specialty Tropical Medicine

Date 2020 Sep 21

PMID 32953387

Citations 20

Authors

Arthurine K Zakama

Nida Ozarslan

Stephanie L Gaw

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose Of Review: Placental malaria is the primary mechanism through which malaria in pregnancy causes adverse perinatal outcomes. This review summarizes recent work on the significance, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of placental malaria.

Recent Findings: Placental malaria, characterized by the accumulation of -infected red blood cells in the placental intervillous space, leads to adverse perinatal outcomes such as stillbirth, low birth weight, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational-age neonates. Placental inflammatory responses may be primary drivers of these complications. Associated factors contributing to adverse outcomes include maternal gravidity, timing of perinatal infection, and parasite burden.

Summary: Placental malaria is an important cause of adverse birth outcomes in endemic regions. The main strategy to combat this is intermittent preventative treatment in pregnancy; however, increasing drug resistance threatens the efficacy of this approach. There are studies dissecting the inflammatory response to placental malaria, alternative preventative treatments, and in developing a vaccine for placental malaria.

Citing Articles

Placental malaria induces a unique methylation profile associated with fetal growth restriction.

Ozarslan N, Mong C, Ategeka J, Li L, Buarpung S, Robinson J Epigenetics. 2025; 20(1):2475276.

PMID: 40051167 PMC: 11901535. DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2025.2475276.

Submicroscopic malaria in pregnancy and associated adverse pregnancy events: A case-cohort study of 4,352 women on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Gilder M, Saito M, Haohankhunnatham W, Ling C, Gornsawun G, Bancone G PLoS Med. 2025; 22(3):e1004529.

PMID: 40036207 PMC: 11878921. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004529.

The Immunomodulatory Role of Estrogen in Malaria: A Review of Sex Differences and Therapeutic Implications.

Wu Y, Chen Y, Liu F, Li K Immun Inflamm Dis. 2025; 13(2):e70148.

PMID: 39898752 PMC: 11789271. DOI: 10.1002/iid3.70148.

Interventions to Prevent and Manage Infections in Pregnancy.

Yasin R, Jiang L, Das J, Bhutta Z Neonatology. 2025; 122(Suppl 1):32-41.

PMID: 39874953 PMC: 11875415. DOI: 10.1159/000543690.

Multi-System Dysregulation in Placental Malaria Contributes to Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Mice.

Ekregbesi P, Seibert B, Parish M, Flores-Garcia Y, Creisher P, Hoffmann J bioRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39868257 PMC: 11761038. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.15.633265.

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