Plasma proteins and proteinuria in gestational malaria.

The plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM and urinary protein were assayed in 250 pregnant Nigerian women with malaria and compared with 250 healthy pregnant women which served as controls. The mean values of plasma total proteins, albumin, IgG and IgA were significantly lowered (P<0.05) while a slight increase in IgM was observed in the malaria patients. Urinary proteins value of 23.10±0.50 mg/dl was obtained for the pregnant women with malaria, this was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the controls with the corresponding value of 15.32±0.09 mg/dl. This study has therefore demonstrated elevations of the urinary and decrease in plasma proteins in gestational malaria. These findings suggest that the protein profile should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria.