Retrospective study of toxoplasmosis prevalence in pregnant women in Benin and its relation with malaria.

Background: Globally distributed with variable prevalence depending on geography, toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. This disease is usually benign but poses a risk for immunocompromised people and for newborns of mothers with a primary infection during pregnancy because of the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). CT can cause severe damage to fetuses-newborns.

Sickle Cell Trait Modulates the Proteome and Phosphoproteome of -Infected Erythrocytes.

The high prevalence of sickle cell disease in some human populations likely results from the protection afforded against severe malaria and death by heterozygous carriage of HbS. remodels the erythrocyte membrane and skeleton, displaying parasite proteins at the erythrocyte surface that interact with key human proteins in the Ankyrin R and 4.1R complexes.

Impact of Hemoglobin S Trait on Cell Surface Antibody Recognition of -Infected Erythrocytes in Pregnancy-Associated Malaria.

Background: Sickle cell trait (HbAS) confers partial protection against malaria by reducing the adhesion of -infected erythrocytes to host receptors, but little is known about its potential protection against placental malaria.

Methods: Using flow cytometry, we assessed the recognition of HbAA and HbAS VAR2CSA-expressing infected erythrocytes, by plasma from 159 Beninese pregnant women with either HbAA (normal) or HbAS. Using multivariate linear models adjusted for gravidity, parasite infection at delivery, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and α-thalassemia carriage, we observed significantly reduced cell surface antibody binding of HbAS-infected erythrocytes by plasma from HbAS compared with HbAA women ( < 10).

Characterization of an A-kinase anchoring protein-like suggests an alternative way of PKA anchoring in Plasmodium falciparum.

Background: The asexual intra-erythrocytic multiplication of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is regulated by various molecular mechanisms. In eukaryotic cells, protein kinases are known to play key roles in cell cycle regulation and signaling pathways. The activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) depends on A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) through protein interactions.