Journal article
A model of parity-dependent immunity to placental malaria
PGT Walker, JT Griffin, M Cairns, SJ Rogerson, AM Van Eijk, F Ter Kuile, AC Ghani
Nature Communications | NATURE RESEARCH | Published : 2013
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2605
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum placental infection during pregnancy is harmful for both mother and child. Protection from placental infection is parity-dependent, that is, acquired over consecutive pregnancies. However, the infection status of the placenta can only be assessed at delivery. Here, to better understand the mechanism underlying this parity-dependence, we fitted a model linking malaria dynamics within the general population to observed placental histology. Our results suggest that immunity resulting in less prolonged infection is a greater determinant of the parity-specific patterns than immunity that prevents placental sequestration. Our results also suggest the time when maternal blood ..
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Awarded by Seventh Framework Programme
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Malaria in Pregnancy (MiP) Consortium, which is funded through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the EU FP7 program. ACG additionally acknowledges support from an MRC Centre grant. The authors would also like to thank Rick Steketee and Alfredo Mayor for helpful and supportive comments and advice.