Baboon Infants are Protected in Utero Against P.knowlesi Infection

Abstract

Infants born to mothers infected with placental malaria (PM) is a common occurrence in malaria endemic areas like sub-Saharan Africa. This could either resu lt in foetal immune priming or tolerance in utero. To determine the effect of PM infection in protecting baboon infants against progression of malaria, we measured IgG levels in serum samples from infants born from PM positive and PM negative mothers in addition to cord, maternal peripheral circulation and placental circulation. Infants were infected with P. knowlesi (1x l 05 parasites) and 'progression of

parasitaemia compare in the two groups. Infants born from malaria PM-positive baboons had higher lgG titers compared to jnfants born from PM-negative baboons. This change was not significant (P= 0.4000). At peak parasitaemia infants born from PM-negative mothers had significantly higher parasitaemia levels (P= 0.0287) compared to infants born from PM-positive mothers. This study supports the' hypothesis that in utero exposure to malaria infection is associated with foetal immune priming in non-immune baboons.