The prognostic and diagnostic value of intraleukocytic malaria pigment: an individual patient data pooled meta-analysis of 32,000 patients with severe falciparum malaria in Africa and Asia

BackgroundSevere falciparum malaria is a major cause of death in tropical countries, particularly in African children. Accurate diagnosis and prognostic assessment are critical to clinical management.MethodsThe prognostic value of the malaria parasite count, and the proportions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes (PMMs) containing malaria pigment in peripheral blood films were assessed in three randomized controlled trials conducted in severe malaria patients; two in Southeast Asia (AQ Vietnam; n=483 and SEAQUAMAT; n=1,330) and one in Africa (AQUAMAT; n=4,211). Following a systematic review of the literature, we incorporated these data into an individual patient data meta-analysis including published data from the Severe Malaria in African children (SMAC) network (n=25,845) and a study from Mali (n=166).FindingsThe proportion of pigment containing PMNs on peripheral blood films was strongly positively correlated with prognosis (odds-ratio for in-hospital mortality for a tenfold increase: 2.53 [95% CI: 2.13-3.00], p = 10−26). The meta-analytic odds-ratio estimate for in-hospital death in patients with >5% pigment containing PMNs compared with lower values was 2.67 (95% CI: 2.08-3.42; p = 10−14). Particularly in African children, the proportion of pigment containing PMNs added substantially to the prognostic assessment from simple bedside examination, and also to the conventional parasite count. In all analyses, the proportion of pigment containing monocytes had a lower prognostic value.InterpretationMicroscopy assessment of the proportion of pigment containing PMNs in a blood film is simple and rapid, and should be performed in all patients hospitalised with suspected severe malaria. Patients with >5% pigment containing PMNs have more than double the risk of death.OtherFunded by Wellcome. The systematic review was registered prospectively on PROS-PERO, number CRD42021284527Research in contextEvidence before this studySevere falciparum malaria remains a major cause of preventable childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019 there were an estimated 274,000 deaths in children under 5 years. Rapidly identifying patients at the greatest risk of death and providing effective treatment is essential to saving lives. Based on data from our prospective studies of strictly defined severe falciparum malaria in Vietnamese adults, the proportions of peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes containing malaria pigment (haemozoin) was proposed as a prognostic factor for mortality. We carried out a systematic review on PubMed of all articles published between database inception and October 11, 2021, using search terms “intraleukocytic pigment” and “severe malaria”. In addition to papers published by our research group, we found two other studies that reported the prognostic value of intraleukocytic pigment counts in severe malaria cohorts of at least 100 patients: the SMAC network study, the largest published cohort study conducted in over 25,000 African children with suspected severe malaria, and a cohort of 172 children from Mali. The SMAC study reported that intraleukocytic malaria pigment counts were not a useful predictor of outcome in African children diagnosed with severe malaria. This differed from the results from the Malian study and our original study in Vietnamese adults.Added value of this studyWe provide new data on the prognostic value of intraleukocytic malaria pigment counts in over 6,000 adults and children with a strict diagnosis of severe falciparum malaria studied prospectively in Asia and Africa. These patients were enrolled in three of the largest randomised controlled trials in severe malaria. These randomised trials have provided the main evidence base for current global therapeutic recommendations. Our data show that there is substantial prognostic value in counting intraleukocytic malaria pigment. This was significantly greater for neutrophil rather than monocyte associated pigment. Pooling all the individual patient data showed that the prognostic value was consistent across studies and countries, despite the substantial differences in study populations and study designs. Having more than 5% pigment containing neutrophils was associated with over double the risk of death from severe falciparum malaria.Implications of all the available evidenceIntraleukocytic malaria pigment counts have sub-stantial prognostic value in severe falciparum malaria. The proportion of neutrophils containing malaria pigment should be counted in thin blood films in all patients with suspected severe malaria. Patients with over 5% of pigment containing neutrophils have a high risk of death.

Malaria Pigment Hemozoin Impairs GM-CSF Receptor Expression and Function by 4-Hydroxynonenal

Malarial pigment hemozoin (HZ) generates the lipoperoxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which is known to cause dysregulation of the immune response in malaria. The inhibition of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-dependent differentiation of dendritic cells (DC) by HZ and 4-HNE was previously described in vitro, and the GM-CSF receptor (GM-CSF R) was hypothesised to be a primary target of 4-HNE in monocytes. In this study, we show the functional impact of HZ on GM-CSF R in monocytes and monocyte-derived DC by (i) impairing GM-CSF binding by 50 ± 9% and 65 ± 14%, respectively (n = 3 for both cell types); (ii) decreasing the expression of GM-CSF R functional subunit (CD116) on monocyte’s surface by 36 ± 11% (n = 6) and in cell lysate by 58 ± 16% (n = 3); and (iii) binding of 4-HNE to distinct amino acid residues on CD116. The data suggest that defective DC differentiation in malaria is caused by GM-CSF R dysregulation and GM-CSF R modification by lipoperoxidation product 4-HNE via direct interaction with its CD116 subunit.

Description, measurement, and automatic classification of the Plasmodium berghei oocyst morphology during early differentiation

After colonization of the mosquito midgut by the malaria parasite, Plasmodium differentiates from an invasive, motile ookinete to a multiplicative, sessile oocyst. Despite their importance in establishing the infection and increasing its population, the morphological transformation associated with these changes in function has been scarcely explored. Oocyst differentiation begins with the formation of a spherical protrusion near the center of the crescent-shaped ookinete. As this protuberance grows, it engulfs the content of the two distal ends, thus rounding the cell. In this work, scrutinized observations of the overall changes in shape, coupled with the migration of the malaria pigment granules and the nucleus into the protuberance, revealed that the movement of the cell content happens in an anteroposterior manner. The resulting data, formalized as morphometric measurements, led to the identification of 5 transitional stages and to the development of a computer training algorithm that automatically classifies them. Since cell differentiation has been associated with redox fluctuations, the classification algorithm was tested with parasites stained with a glutathione-specific fluorescent probe, revealing a redox modulation during differentiation.

Relationships Between Measures of Malaria at Delivery and Adverse Birth Outcomes in a High-Transmission Area of Uganda

Background Clinical trials of interventions for preventing malaria in pregnancy often use measures of malaria at delivery as their primary outcome. Although the objective of these interventions is to improve birth outcomes, data on associations between different measures of malaria at delivery and adverse birth outcomes are limited. Methods Data came from 637 Ugandan women enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy. Malaria at delivery was detected using peripheral and placental blood microscopy, placental blood loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and placental histopathology. Multivariate analyses were used to estimate associations between measures of malaria at delivery and risks of low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth (PTB). Results Detection of malaria parasites by microscopy or LAMP was not associated with adverse birth outcomes. Presence of malaria pigment detected by histopathology in ≥30% of high-powered fields was strongly associated with LBW (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 3.42, P = .02) and SGA (aRR = 4.24, P < .001) but not PTB (aRR = 0.88, P = .87). Conclusions A semiquantitative classification system based on histopathologically detected malaria pigment provided the best surrogate measure of adverse birth outcomes in a high-transmission setting and should be considered for use in malaria in pregnancy intervention studies.