BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic Entamoeba histolytica infections in pregnant women puts infants at risk of infection through vertical transmission or transmission during breastfeeding in high HIV prevalence areas. The study aimed at investigating the immune response to asymptomatic E.histolytica infection in pregnant women and their infants in a high HIV burdened setting in Harare, Zimbabwe.METHODOLOGY: Serum samples from 39 predominantly breastfeeding mother-infant pairs were analyzed for inflammatory cytokine and immunoglobulin profiles using BIOPLEX. The infants' ages ranged from 10 days to 14 weeks.
RESULTS: IL-1r, IL-4, IL-9, IL-12p70, IL-17a, G-CSF and PDGF-BB were significantly raised in E. histolytica infected compared to non-infected lactating mothers (p