ArticleMalaria journal2018
Antibody levels to recombinant VAR2CSA domains vary with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia, gestational age, and gravidity, but do not predict pregnancy outcomes.
Article in Malaria journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pregnancy-specific malarial immunity and risk of malaria in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review.BMC medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Cytokine-Driven Immune Phenotypes at Delivery as Indicators of Malaria Infection Among Primigravidae in Burkina Faso: An Exploratory Analysis.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- VAR2CSA-specific IgG and IgM antibodies are markers of exposure and protection against adverse malaria pregnancy outcomes.Malaria journal · 2025Article
- Antenatal care surveillance for monitoring malaria prevalence and intervention coverage: a multicountry analysis.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Identification ofFrontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- PfEMP1 and var genes - Still of key importance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria pathogenesis and immunity.Advances in parasitology · 2024Review
- Review
- Aotus nancymaae model predicts human immune response to the placental malaria vaccine candidate VAR2CSA.Lab animal · 2023Article
- Detecting temporal and spatial malaria patterns from first antenatal care visits.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Detecting temporal and spatial malaria patterns from first antenatal care visits.Research square · 2023Article
- Acquisition of antibodies that blockFrontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- Article
- Allelic variants of full-length VAR2CSA, the placental malaria vaccine candidate, differ in antigenicity and receptor binding affinity.Communications biology · 2021Article
- Article
- Antibody Levels to Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1-DBLγ11 and DBLδ-1 Predict Reduction in Parasite Density.mSystems · 2021Article
- Do Antibodies to Malaria Surface Antigens Play a Role in Protecting Mothers From Maternal Anemia?Frontiers in immunology · 2020Review
- Article
- Functional Antibodies against Placental Malaria Parasites Are Variant Dependent and Differ by Geographic Region.Infection and immunity · 2019Article
- Placental malaria vaccine candidate antigen VAR2CSA displays atypical domain architecture in someCommunications biology · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMaternal malaria is a tropical scourge associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Women become resistant to Plasmodium falciparum pregnancy malaria as they acquire antibodies to the variant surface antigen VAR2CSA, a leading vaccine candidate. Because malaria infection may increase VAR2CSA antibody levels and thereby confound analyses of immune protection, gravidity-dependent changes in antibody levels during and after infection, and the effect of VAR2CSA antibodies on pregnancy outcomes were evaluated.
methodsPregnant women enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study of mother-infant pairs in Ouelessebougou, Mali provided plasma samples at enrollment, gestational week 30-32, and delivery. Antibody levels to VAR2CSA domains were measured using a multiplex bead-based assay.
resultsAntibody levels to VAR2CSA were higher in multigravidae than primigravidae. Malaria infection was associated with increased antibody levels to VAR2CSA domains. In primigravidae but not in secundigravidae or multigravidae, antibodies levels sharply declined after an infection. A relationship between any VAR2CSA antibody specificity and protection from adverse pregnancy outcomes was not detected.
conclusionsDuring malaria infection, primigravidae acquire short-lived antibodies. The lack of an association between VAR2CSA domain antibody reactivity and improved pregnancy outcomes suggests that the recombinant proteins may not present native epitopes targeted by protective antibodies.
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