Maternal IgG antibodies and protection against clinical Vivax Malaria in the first year of life

• Grant number: 18/18557-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2018
• End date: June 26, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
• Grantee: Anaclara Pincelli Cintra
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/00270-6 - MINA study - Maternal and child health in Acre: birth cohort in the Western Brazilian Amazon, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/09892-8 - Maternal IgG antibodies and protection against clinical vivax malaria in the first year of life, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

P. vivax challenges Malaria control, surpasses P. falciparum distribution and subjects 2,5 billion people to the risk of being infected. Naturally acquired immunity, observed on individuals exposed to several Malaria episodes, does not prevents infection but limits parasitaemia, preventing it´s escalation and the manifestation of symptoms. Clinical immunity to Malaria in P. falciparum endemic areas is observed also on children with less than six months of age. This relative protection is believed to be mostly due to transplacental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies. Although antibodies acquired during the intrauterine period of life are traditionally associated to Malaria protection during the first months of life, few studies relate maternal antibodies levels with a subsequent diminishment of infection risk. Little is known about vivax Malaria protection on the first six months of life. The objective of this project is to investigate the possible protecting effect of maternal IgG antibodies - total and specific against three of the main proteins of the P. vivax blood stage: PvDBP, PvMSP-119 e PvAMA1 - against clinical vivax Malaria during the first year of age. With this intent an epidemiological approach will be combined with the laboratorial evaluation of functional characteristics of maternal antibodies. In addition to that, the relationship between Malaria vivax in pregnancy and the IgG antibodies levels in the cord blood plasma will be investigated. Finally, this project endeavour to investigate the association of the exposure to vivax Malaria during intrauterine life and clinical vivax Malaria during the first year of age, and to the height, weight and haemoglobin levels at twelve months of age. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PINCELLI, ANACLARA; CARDOSO, MARLY A.; MALTA, MAIRA B.; JOHANSEN, IGOR C.; CORDER, RODRIGO M.; NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; SOARES, IRENE S.; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; GRP, MINA-BRAZIL STUDY WORKING. Low-level Plasmodium vivax exposure, maternal antibodies, and anemia in early childhood: Population-based birth cohort study in Amazonian Brazil. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 15, n. 7, JUL 2021. (16/00270-6, 17/05019-2, 18/18557-5, 20/07020-0)

CORDER, RODRIGO M.; PAULA, GILBERTO A.; PINCELLI, ANACLARA; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Statistical modeling of surveillance data to identify correlates of urban malaria risk: A population-based study in the Amazon Basin. PLoS One, v. 14, n. 8, AUG 9 2019. (16/18740-9, 18/18557-5)

PINCELLI, ANACLARA; CARDOSO, MARLY A.; MALTA, MAIRA B.; NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; SOARES, IRENE S.; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; MINA-BIWA STUDY WORKING GRP. Prolonged Breastfeeding and the Risk of Plasmodium vivax Infection and Clinical Malaria in Early Childhood A Birth Cohort Study. PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL, v. 41, n. 10, p. 7-pg., 2022-10-01. (17/05019-2, 16/00270-6, 18/18557-5)