title: Low prevalence of an acute phase response in asymptomatic children from a malaria-endemic area of Papua New Guinea.
abstract: Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a classic marker for the acute phase response (APR), were measured in children with asymptomatic malaria infection in the Amele region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Despite the presence of parasitemia, the prevalence of CRP levels consistent with an APR (CRP > 10 microg/mL) was very low (< 10%). Splenomegaly was significantly associated with increased parasitemia (P < 0.001) and CRP levels (P < 0.001), highlighting the importance of splenomegaly as an indicator of recent high density infection in this population. Multivariate analysis showed that CRP levels were significantly associated with splenomegaly, fever, hemoglobin, and age (P < or = 0.002). CRP levels also increased with increasing parasitemia (P < 0.001) but remained < 3.5 microg/mL. The low levels of CRP indicate that children in the Amele modulate inflammation associated with malaria.
authors.affiliation: Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. heather.imrie@medawar.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imrie
authors.forename: Freya J I
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Fowkes
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michon
authors.forename: Livingstone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavul
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: Karen P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000254:growth & development*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000469:parasitology; D014329:Tropical Climate; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006242:Haptoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein