Assessing the effect of maternal helminth infection on Vitamin D regulation and on the immune system of the infant (HELMVIT)

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Clarissa Prazeres da Costa
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 405024551

Maternal exposures during pregnancy have an in utero effect on the development of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as cardiovascular diseases or allergies in the offspring later in life. Thus, identification of the factors or mediators that are prominent in the fetomaternal crosstalk during pregnancy such as chronic infections could lead to deeper understanding of the impacts on early life and thus pose an opportunity for prevention. Indeed, chronic infection with the helminth Schistosoma mansoni during pregnancy suppressed allergic immune responses in offspring in an experimental model. Thus, the HelmVit consortium members set out to explore the dynamics of chronic infection-induced regulation especially of Vitamin D next to other immunologically relevant biomarkers such as cytokines and antibodies in pregnant infected women in Gabon, an area highly endemic for schistosomiasis. Further surrogates for potential maternal immune priming changes in cellular composition of cord blood cells ranging from stem to adaptive immune cells as well as of placental gene regulation are assessed. After a very successful workshop on “Integrative approaches to Women’s Health in SSA” and a pilot study demonstrating differences of placental inflammation and IgE antibody transfer between healthy mother-child dyads from Gabon and Germany, all methods of the HelmVit study protocol were implemented and recruitment of more than 400 mother/child pairs finished including all parasitological analyses. Biological samples (serum, plasma, PBMC, CBMC and placenta tissue) were collected and partially shipped to TUM where analyses are currently ongoing by the Gabonese PhD student enrolled at the TUM Graduate School. Preliminary results interestingly reveal that pregnant Gabonese women (1) have sufficient Vitamin D levels, (2) that these do not change due to underlying parasitic infection, (3) do not vary due to seasonal changes. This is important public health information for Gabon which will be communicated by the CERMEL partner accordingly. For the next funding period we plan: (1) to investigate the underlying mechanisms of IgE transfer observed in Gabonese cord blood samples including analysis of IgG-IgE complexes, of VDJ recombination in cord blood cells, of B cell development and activation status and of placental inflammation; (2) Establishing immunological competencies in Gabon and investigating cell composition and activation as well as epigenetic changes in defined umbilical cord cell populations using ATACSeq; (3) to follow-up the children up to 5 years of age and assess clinically their health status including allergies and parasitic infection; (4) to assess their immune responses in general and to EPI vaccines; (5) to perform a workshop to exchange scientific knowledge and raise awareness among health workers including midwives, young researchers and other stakeholders on adverse pregnancy outcomes related to parasitic diseases.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Gabon
• International Co-Applicant: Professor Ayola Akim Adegnika, Ph.D.