title: Severe malarial anemia associated with increased soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) concentrations in Gabonese children.
abstract: To investigate if severe malarial anemia is associated with specific cytokine overproduction, we evaluated serum levels of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) from three groups of young children with Plasmodium falciparum infection (asymptomatic cases, uncomplicated malaria cases and severe malarial anemia cases), in a hyperendemic area of Gabon. In uncomplicated cases, only TNF levels were significantly (p < 0.001) increased in comparison to asymptomatic cases with P. falciparum infection. High levels of sFasL, TNF-alpha and IL-10 were associated with low hemoglobin concentrations, sFasL levels were significantly higher in children with severe malarial anemia (p < 0.001) as compared to both other groups. The parasite density was positively correlated with IL-10, TNF-alpha and sFasL levels. TNF-alpha and sFasL, but not IL-10 or parasitemia, were independent predictors of hemoglobin concentrations. These results suggest that, in malaria, a specific dysregulation of the cytokine balance may lead to complications such as severe anemia.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches Médicales, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Lambaréné, Gabon.
authors.forename: Saadou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Issifou
authors.forename: Elie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mavoungou
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borrmann
authors.forename: Marielle K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bouyou-Akotet
authors.forename: Pierre-Blaise
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Matsiegui
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kremsner
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ntoumi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10