title: Thrombopoietin in Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
abstract: Thrombopoietin (TPO) is the key growth factor for platelet production and is elevated in states of platelet depletion. As thrombocytopenia is a common finding in malaria, we analysed TPO regulation before, during and after antimalarial treatment. Before treatment, TPO serum levels were significantly higher in patients with severe malaria (n = 35) than in patients with uncomplicated malaria (n = 44; P = 0.024), normalizing within 14-21 d of therapy. The rapid normalization of TPO levels and increase in low peripheral platelet counts after treatment indicate that the biosynthesis of TPO and its regulation in malaria patients are normal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Vienna, Austria. anna.kreil@akh-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreil
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenisch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brittenham
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Looareesuwan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peck-Radosavljevic
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; D006801:Humans; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010976:Platelet Count; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000077332:Artesunate; D013926:Thrombopoietin