Iron deficiency is associated with reduced levels of Plasmodium falciparum-specific antibodies in African children
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Iron deficiency (ID) and malaria are common causes of ill-health and disability among children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Although iron is critical for the acquisition of humoral immunity, little is known about the effects of ID on antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Methods
The study included 1,794 Kenyan and Ugandan children aged 0-7 years. We measured biomarkers of iron and inflammation, and antibodies to P falciparum antigens including apical merozoite antigen 1 (anti-AMA-1) and merozoite surface antigen 1 (anti-MSP-1) in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
Results
The overall prevalence of ID was 31%. ID was associated with lower anti-AMA-1 and anti-MSP-1 antibody levels in pooled analyses adjusted for age, gender, study site, inflammation and P falciparum parasitemia (adjusted mean difference on a log-transformed scale (β) -0.46; 95 CI -0.66, -0.25 P <0.0001; β -0.33; 95 CI -0.50, -0.16 P <0.0001, respectively). Additional covariates for malaria exposure index, previous malaria episodes, and time since last malaria episode, were available for individual cohorts. Meta-analysis was used to allow for these adjustments giving β -0.34; -0.52, -0.16 for anti-AMA-1 antibodies and β -0.26; -0.41, -0.11 for anti-MSP-1 antibodies. Low transferrin saturation was similarly associated with reduced anti-AMA1 antibody levels. Lower AMA-1 and MSP-1 specific antibody levels persisted over time in iron-deficient children.
Conclusions
Reduced levels of P. falciparum-specific antibodies in iron-deficient children might reflect impaired acquisition of immunity to malaria and/or reduced malaria exposure. Strategies to prevent and treat ID may influence antibody responses to malaria for children living in sub-Saharan Africa.
Iron deficiency (ID) and malaria are common causes of ill-health and disability among children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Although iron is critical for the acquisition of humoral immunity, little is known about the effects of ID on antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Methods
The study included 1,794 Kenyan and Ugandan children aged 0-7 years. We measured biomarkers of iron and inflammation, and antibodies to P falciparum antigens including apical merozoite antigen 1 (anti-AMA-1) and merozoite surface antigen 1 (anti-MSP-1) in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
Results
The overall prevalence of ID was 31%. ID was associated with lower anti-AMA-1 and anti-MSP-1 antibody levels in pooled analyses adjusted for age, gender, study site, inflammation and P falciparum parasitemia (adjusted mean difference on a log-transformed scale (β) -0.46; 95 CI -0.66, -0.25 P <0.0001; β -0.33; 95 CI -0.50, -0.16 P <0.0001, respectively). Additional covariates for malaria exposure index, previous malaria episodes, and time since last malaria episode, were available for individual cohorts. Meta-analysis was used to allow for these adjustments giving β -0.34; -0.52, -0.16 for anti-AMA-1 antibodies and β -0.26; -0.41, -0.11 for anti-MSP-1 antibodies. Low transferrin saturation was similarly associated with reduced anti-AMA1 antibody levels. Lower AMA-1 and MSP-1 specific antibody levels persisted over time in iron-deficient children.
Conclusions
Reduced levels of P. falciparum-specific antibodies in iron-deficient children might reflect impaired acquisition of immunity to malaria and/or reduced malaria exposure. Strategies to prevent and treat ID may influence antibody responses to malaria for children living in sub-Saharan Africa.
Date Issued
2021-07-01
Date Acceptance
2020-05-04
Citation
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2021, 73 (1), pp.43-49
ISSN
1058-4838
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Start Page
43
End Page
49
Journal / Book Title
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Volume
73
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
Identifier
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa728/5854375
Grant Number
091758/B/10/Z
203077/Z/16/Z (C161)
202800/Z/16/Z
Subjects
Microbiology
06 Biological Sciences
11 Medical and Health Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-06-07