Background: The overlap of malaria and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is common in endemic regions, however, it is not known if this co-infection could adversely influence clinical and immunological responses. This study investigated these interactions in pregnant women reporting to antenatal clinics in Ghana.
Methods: Clinical parameters (hemoglobin, liver function biomarker, peripheral malaria parasitemia, and hepatitis B viremia) and cytokine profiles were assayed and compared across four categories of pregnant women: un-infected, mono-infected with Plasmodium falciparum (Malaria group), mono-infected with chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB group) and co-infected (Malaria+CHB group).
Results: Women with Malaria+CHB maintained appreciably normal hemoglobin levels (mean±SEM = 10.3±0.3 g/dL). That notwithstanding, Liver function test showed significantly elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin [P<0.001 for all comparisons]. Similarly, the Malaria+CHB group had significantly elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 [P<0.05 for all comparisons]. In women with Malaria+CHB, correlation analysis showed significant negative association of the pro-inflammatory cytokines responses with malaria parasitemia [IL-1β (P<0.001; r = -0.645), IL-6 (P = 0.046; r = -0.394) and IL-12 (P = 0.011; r = -0.49)]. On the other hand, the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels positively correlated with HBV viremia [TNF-α (P = 0.004; r = 0.549), IL-1β (P<0.001; r = 0.920), IL-6 (P<0.001; r = 0.777), IFN-γ (P = 0.002; r = 0.579), IL-2 (P = 0.008; r = 0.512) and IL-12 (P<0.001; r = 0.655)]. Also, for women in the Malaria+CHB group, parasitemia was observed to diminish HBV viremia [P = 0.003, r = -0.489].
Conclusion: Put together the findings suggests that Malaria+CHB could exacerbate inflammatory cytokine responses and increase susceptibility to liver injury among pregnant women in endemic settings.