Association between malaria immunity and pregnancy outcomes among Malawian pregnant women receiving nutrient supplementation

Table 2 Association between the participants’ malaria antibody levels at enrolment and their blood haemoglobin concentration at 36 gestation weeks and their child’s birthweight

Antibody type	Haemoglobin concentration (g/l)		Birthweight (g)
Antibody type	Coefficient (95% CI)	p value	Coefficient (95% CI)	p value
IgG to placental-binding VSA	0.5 (0.05, 0.9)	0.029*	−9.7 (−21.5, 2.1)	0.106
Opsonising antibodies to placental-binding VSA	0.4 (0.04, 0.8)	0.030*	2.0 (−9.0, 13.0)	0.721
Opsonising antibodies to non-placental-binding VSA	0.2 (−0.3, 0.6)	0.476	−3.1 (−16.4, 10.2)	0.651
MSP1 19kD	−0.7 (−1.3, −0.1)	0.018*	9.4 (−7.8, 26.6)	0.283
MSP2	−0.7 (−1.2, −0.1)	0.017*	5.2 (−10.3, 20.8)	0.507
MSP3	−0.2 (−0.7, 0.4)	0.592	−13.2 (−29.7, 3.3)	0.115
EBA175	−1.1 (−1.7, −0.4)	0.003*	5.3 (−14.0, 24.5)	0.589
PfRh2	−0.2 (−0.8, 0.5)	0.604	−8.6 (−27.3, 10.0)	0.364
Schizont extract	−0.5 (−0.10, −0.05)	0.032*	3.1 (−10.1, 16.2)	0.648

Analysis for each individual antibody was adjusted for gravidity, maternal age, HIV, ITN use, body mass index at enrolment, malaria microscope positivity at enrolment, socioeconomic status, study site, season at enrolment and supplementation groups. Results show increase in haemoglobin or birth weight per 10% increase in antibody
95 % CI, 95% confidence interval; IgG, immunoglobulin G; VSA, variant surface antigens, MSP, merozoite surface protein; EBA175, erythrocyte binding homologue 175; PfRh2, Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte binding homologue 2

ISSN: 1475-2875