Comparative study of histopathological lesions of the placenta induced by malaria infection in HIV seropositive and seronegative women in Kinshasa

Objectives: this study aims to determine the prevalence rate of malaria infection and inventory histological placental lesions due to Plasmodium falciparum in Kinshasa.Material and Methods: 147 HIVpositive parturients and 149 HIV negative asymptomatic women were recruited, after informed consent, in 7 reference maternity hospitals in Kinshasa.Placental biopsies were taken and examined at the Pathology Department of the University Clinics of Kinshasa.Placental malaria histological lesions were classified according to Bulmer et al (1993). Results:The prevalence rate of placental malaria infection was 72.00% (95% CI: 66.70%-77.20%)for the entire study population.It was 91.00% (95% CI: 85.30%-95.20%)for HIV positive mothers vs 53.70% (95% CI: 45.30%-61.90%)for HIV negative mothers (p<0.0001).The most frequently encountered histological lesions consisted of acute lesions and chronic active lesions.They predominated among HIV positive multiparous women.Whereas in the placentas of HIV negative mothers, sequelae lesions predominated. Conclusion:The prevalence of placental malaria infection in Kinshasa was 72.00% (95% CI: 66.70%-77.20%).Co-infected multiparas were more exposed to acute and chronic active malaria placental histological lesions.Additional studies are desirable to assess the extent of this problem across the entire Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which happens to be a mini-continent.