title: Severe anemia affects both splenectomized and non-splenectomized Plasmodium falciparum-infected Aotus infulatus monkeys.
abstract: Severe anemia is the earliest and a frequently fatal complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Here we describe Aotus infulatus as a primate model suitable to study this malaria complication. Both non-splenectomized and splenectomized monkeys receiving different inocula of P. falciparum FVO strain presented large (> 50%) decreases in hematocrit values during infection. Non-splenectomized animals were able to control parasite growth (parasitemia did not exceed 4%), but they had to be treated because of severe anemia. Three of 4 splenectomized monkeys did not control parasitemia and were treated, but developed severe anemia after treatment when presenting a negative blood film. Destruction of parasitized red blood cells alone cannot account for the degree of anemia. Non-splenectomized monkeys repeatedly infected with homologous parasites became rapidly and progressively resistant to reinfection and to the development of severe anemia. The data presented here point to A. infulatus as a suitable model for studying the pathogenesis of severe malarial infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. leojmc@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Leonardo J de Moura
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Francisco Acácio
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Salma Gomes
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Rodrigo del Rio
authors.initials: Rdel R
authors.lastname: do Valle
authors.forename: Andréa A Morais
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: José A Pereira Carneiro
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.forename: Claudio T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Daniel-Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D016645:Aotidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000662:veterinary; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000662:veterinary