title: Elevated serum levels of IL-10 and IFN-gamma in patients with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
abstract: Serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were determined in 37 patients with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Bangkok, Thailand. Serum levels of IL-10 and IFN-gamma were markedly elevated in patients with malaria prior to treatment (717 +/- 260 pg/ml versus 2.2 +/- 1.3 pg/ml in healthy controls; 123 +/- 71 pg/ml versus 29 +/- 9 pg/ml, respectively; mean +/- SD). Serum levels of IFN-gamma and IL-10 dropped significantly during treatment and were normal 14 and 21 days, respectively, after treatment was started. Prior to therapy a correlation between serum levels of IFN-gamma and IL-10 existed (r = 0.563). These results suggest that stimulatory and inhibitory cytokines for macrophage activation and/or antibody production (i.e., TH1- and TH2-type immunoreaction, respectively) are coexpressed during acute P. falciparum infection and stress the multifactorial network between host and parasite in malaria immunology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenisch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parschalk
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Narzt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Looareesuwan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Graninger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma