Impact of placental Plasmodium falciparum malaria on the profile of some oxidative stress biomarkers in women living in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Background: Impact of the pathophysiology of Plasmodium falciparum placental malaria (PM) on the profile of some oxidative stress biomarkers and their relationship with poor pregnancy outcomes in women remain unknown.

Methods: Between 2013 and 2014, peripheral blood and placenta tissue from 120 Cameroonian women at delivery were assessed for maternal haemoglobin and, parasitaemia respectively. Parasite accumulation in the placenta was investigated histologically.

Placental malaria and modulation of immune and hormonal responses in Cameroonian women.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes place the lives of mother and new born babies in jeopardy, especially in Sub Saharan Africa. Although a well-balanced network of the pregnancy-associated hormones and lipid fractions is necessary for healthy pregnancy, the profiles of some of these biomarkers alongside those of some cytokines in relation to placental malaria (PM) and poor pregnancy outcomes are unknown. Therefore between 2013 and 2014, paired peripheral and placental blood samples were collected from 135 Cameroonian women at delivery.