Journal Article

Chronic infection during placental malaria is associated with up-regulation of cycloxygenase-2

Marrama, Laurence, Niang, Makhtar, Lehesran, Jean Yves, Brahim, Hamoud O, Aldebert, Delphine, Gaye, Alioune, Sarr, Demba, Frealle, Emilie, Mercereau-Puijalon, Odile, Dangou, Jean Marie, Jambou, Ronan

2010

Overview

Background Placental malaria (PM) is associated with poor foetal development, but the pathophysiological processes involved are poorly understood. Cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) which convert fatty acids to prostaglandins and leukotrienes, play important roles in pregnancy and foetal development. COX-2, currently targeted by specific drugs, plays a dual role as it associates with both pre-eclampsia pathology and recovery during infection. The role of COX during PM was questioned by quantifying at delivery COX-1, COX-2, 15-LOX, and IL-10 expression in two groups of malaria infected and uninfected placenta. Methods Placental biopsies were collected at delivery for mRNA isolation and quantification, using real time PCR. Results COX-2 and IL-10 mRNAs increased mainly during chronic infections (nine- and five-times, respectively), whereas COX-1 transcripts remained constant. COX-2 over-expression was associated with a higher birth weight of the baby, but with a lower rate of haemoglobin of the mother. It was associated with a macrophage infiltration of the placenta and with a low haemozoin infiltration. In the opposite way, placental infection was associated with lower expression of 15-LOX mRNA. A high degree of haemozoin deposition correlates with low birth weight and decreased expression of COX-2. Conclusion These data provide evidence that COX-2 and IL-10 are highly induced during chronic infection of the placenta, but were not associated with preterm delivery or low birth weight. The data support the involvement of COX-2 in the recovery phase of the placental infection.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Biopsy / Birth weight / Case-Control Studies / Chronic infection / COX-2 inhibitors / Cyclooxygenase 2 / Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism / Cyclooxygenase-1 / Cytokines / DNA / Drug development / Drug therapy / Entomology / Enzymes / Fatty acids / Female / Gene expression / Genetic aspects / Health aspects / Hemoglobin / Histology / HIV / Human diseases / Human health and pathology / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Immunoglobulins / Immunohistochemistry / Infant, Low Birth Weight / Infant, Newborn / Infections / Infectious Diseases / Infiltration / Inflammation / Inflammation - diagnosis / Interleukin 10 / Interleukin-10 - metabolism / Leukotrienes / Life Sciences / Lipoxygenase / Low birth weight / Macrophages / Malaria / Malaria, Falciparum / Malaria, Falciparum - metabolism / Malaria, Falciparum - parasitology / Messenger RNA / Microbiology / Neutrophils / Nucleotide sequence / Overexpression / Parasites / Parasitology / Parturition / Pathology / PCR / Physiological aspects / Placenta / Placenta - enzymology / Placenta - parasitology / Placenta - pathology / Placenta Diseases / Placenta Diseases - metabolism / Placenta Diseases - physiopathology / Pre-eclampsia / Preeclampsia / Pregnancy / Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic - enzymology / Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic - pathology / Pregnancy Outcome / Prostaglandins / Public Health / Recovery / Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / RNA, Messenger / RNA, Messenger - genetics / RNA, Messenger - metabolism / Senegal / Tropical Medicine / Up-Regulation / Vector-borne diseases / Weight / Young Adult