Osong Public Health Res Perspect.  2020 Oct;11(5):319-326. 10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.5.08.

Immunological Profile and Bacterial Drug Resistance in Pregnant Women: A Cross Sectional Study

• Ngalani OJ
• Marbou WJ
• Mbaveng AT
• Kuete V

• KMID: 2507858
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.5.08

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the immunological and bacterial profiles in pregnant women of Bafang-Cameroon.
Methods
Stool and midstream urine were cultured using specific culture media. The disk diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial susceptibility test. T-cell lymphocyte counts (CD3, CD4 and CD8), white blood cell counts, sensitive C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6, were measured by flow cytometry, optical detection, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay solid phase direct sandwich method.
Results
Out of 700 participants, 71.43% were pregnant, and 28.57% were non-pregnant women. The mean age was 29.40 ± 8.27 and 27.41 ± 6.55 years in non-pregnant and pregnant women, respectively. CD4 T-cells were not significantly lower in pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women. There were 43.65% and 56.35% bacteria isolates obtained from urine and stool samples, respectively. Bacteria were mostly isolated in patients with a CD4 T-cell count between 461 and 806 cells/μL. Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes showed 100% resistance in non-pregnant women, however all isolated bacteria were shown to be multidrug resistant in pregnant women. Salmonella sp. (24.3%) and Escherichia coli (21.51%) showed an increase in multidrug resistant phenotypes in pregnant women.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that routine bacteriological analysis during pregnancy is necessary for their follow-up care.

Keyword

antibiotic resistance; immunology; pregnancy