Abstract
Background: There are few published data on the association between leptin, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and malaria during pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels and malaria during pregnancy, and their association - if any - with birth weight.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Medani, Sudan. Medical and obstetrics history was gathered from each parturient woman (n=175) and malaria was investigated by blood film and placental histology. Maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels were measured using ELISA.Results: Upon histological examination, 48 women were infected with placental malaria, and 127 were found free from the disease. Out of the 48, 2 of the patients showed signs of active infection, 3 of chronic infection and 43 of previous infection. Placental malaria and preterm delivery were associated with low birth weight (< 2500 g). Younger mothers and primigravidae had a higher risk for placental malaria infection. There was no significant difference in maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels between women infected with placental malaria and those free from the disease.Conclusions: The current study showed that low birth weight was significantly associated with placental malaria. Young mothers and primigravidae had a higher risk to develop the infection. There was no significant difference in the levels of maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels between women infected with placental malaria and those free from the disease. Both the levels of maternal and cord leptin and IGF-1were found not to be associated with birth weight.Abbreviations: IGF-1: Insulin like growth factor-1; LBW: Low birth weight; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; PM: Placental malaria.
Highlights
Malaria during pregnancy is a major public health concern, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where there are approximately 125 million pregnant African women living in malaria-endemic regions
Previous reports have shown that leptin levels were decreased during malarial attack in pregnant women (Conroy et al, 2011), and that these decreased leptin levels were associated with placental malaria infection, as well as low birth weight (Kabyemela et al, 2008a; Kabyemela et al, 2008b)
Babies born to women with PM tended to be in the low birth weight (LBW) (< 2500 g) category more often than those born to non-infected women, but the p-value failed to reach the significance level (p = 0.054)
Summary
Malaria during pregnancy is a major public health concern, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where there are approximately 125 million pregnant African women living in malaria-endemic regions. Previous reports have shown that leptin levels were decreased during malarial attack in pregnant women (Conroy et al, 2011), and that these decreased leptin levels were associated with placental malaria infection, as well as low birth weight (Kabyemela et al, 2008a; Kabyemela et al, 2008b). This study aimed to investigate maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels and malaria during pregnancy, and their association - if any - with birth weight. There was no significant difference in maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels between women infected with placental malaria and those free from the disease. There was no significant difference in the levels of maternal and umbilical cord leptin and IGF-1 levels between women infected with placental
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