Malaria enhances expression of CC chemokine receptor 5 on placental macrophages

Malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfections are common in p regnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. The current study shows that placentas of malaria-infected women contain 3 times as much CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) RNA as placentas of women without malaria. By immunohistochemistry, CCR5(+) maternal macrophages were seen in placentas from malaria-infected w omen but not in placentas from malaria-uninfected women. In addition, CCR5 also was found on fetal Hofbauer cells in placentas from both groups. Thus, malaria infections increase the potential reservoir for HIV in the placent a by increasing the number of HIV target cells.