Study explores the association of malaria, HIV with anemia during
pregnancy

Date:
August 14, 2020
Source:
Penn State
Summary:
Pregnant women from sub-Saharan Africa with malaria and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher prevalence of anemia than
pregnant women without infections, according to researchers. The
findings may have implications for reducing the risk of death in
pregnant women and preventing low birth weights and neurocognitive
impairment in their children as a result of anemia.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Pregnant women from sub-Saharan Africa with malaria and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher prevalence of anemia than
pregnant women without infections, according to Penn State College of
Medicine researchers. The findings may have implications for reducing
the risk of death in pregnant women and preventing low birth weights
and neurocognitive impairment in their children as a result of anemia.


========================================================================== Coinfections of HIV and malaria are common among expectant mothers in sub- Saharan Africa. Dr. Paddy Ssentongo, a doctoral student in epidemiology,
led a study, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, that assessed
the association of malaria with anemia and the effects of malaria and
HIV on anemia in pregnant women.

The researchers analyzed demographic and health surveys from 2012 and
2017 across seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and examined blood
samples from 947 pregnant women, ages 15 to 49 years old. Their results
show that malaria was associated with an increased prevalence of anemia
during pregnancy. The prevalence of anemia was higher in pregnant women
with malaria and HIV coinfections (60%) than in pregnant women without infections (45%).

"Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa suffer a double burden of malaria
and HIV infections, and these infections interact with each other to cause anemia," Ssentongo said. "Multipronged strategies to prevent and treat
malaria and HIV in pregnant women are critical to ensure the survival
of mothers and their unborn babies." Anemia is a condition where the
body lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to
body tissue, resulting in fatigue. Diseases like HIV and malaria can
destroy red blood cells and cause a person to become anemic.

The interaction between malaria and HIV leading to anemia in
dually-infected patients is synergistic and bidirectional. Malaria leads
to an increase in HIV viral load, a decline in the level of immune cells
and an increase in inflammation. In addition, malaria increases the rate
of disease progression from HIV to AIDS. HIV contributes to more frequent
and more severe cases of malaria and increases the density of malaria parasites, which leads to either the destruction of the red blood cells, reduced iron absorption or reduced rate of formation of new red blood
cells in the bone marrow.

According to the researchers, preventative strategies for
anemia in pregnancy due to malaria and HIV include the use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (co- trimoxazole), a malaria prophylactic treatment, in addition to antiretroviral therapy, which both lower the
odds of coinfection. In addition, vector control using insecticide-treated
bed nets and residual spraying is effective. Although intermittent
preventive treatment with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine has been shown to be effective in parts of Africa, intermittent preventive treatment should
be avoided in pregnant women, who are on antiretroviral therapy and co-trimoxazole prophylaxis, because of the risk of adverse drug reactions.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Penn_State. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Paddy Ssentongo, Djibril M. Ba, Anna E. Ssentongo, Jessica
E. Ericson,
Ming Wang, Duanping Liao, Vernon M. Chinchilli. Associations
of malaria, HIV, and coinfection, with anemia in pregnancy
in sub-Saharan Africa: a population-based cross-sectional
study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2020; 20 (1) DOI:
10.1186/s12884-020-03064-x ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200814131012.htm

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