title: Similar cytokine responses and degrees of anemia in patients with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections in the Brazilian Amazon region.
abstract: The mechanisms of malarial anemia induction are poorly understood, but cytokines and autoantibodies are considered to play important roles. This work aimed at evaluating the degree of anemia and the plasmatic profile of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), interleukin-12 (IL-12), migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and IL-10 and the monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) chemokine, as well as evaluating the presence of antibodies directed to components of the normal erythrocyte membrane and to cardiolipin in individuals with malaria from the Brazilian Amazon. No difference was observed in the frequency of anemia between patients infected by Plasmodium vivax and those infected by Plasmodium falciparum, and there was no relationship between the levels of parasitemia and the manifestations of anemia in P. vivax and P. falciparum patients. Significant increases in the concentrations of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, MIF, and MCP-1 were observed in patients with P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria, whereas the concentrations of IL-10 was increased only in patients with P. vivax infection. Higher concentrations of IL-12 and IL-10 were observed in the P. falciparum anemic patients, while for TNF-alpha this profile was observed in the nonanemic ones. P. vivax-infected and P. falciparum-infected patients with positive immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgM and IgG responses, respectively, against blood-stage forms of the parasites had significantly lower hemoglobin levels than did those with negative responses. There was no correlation between the presence of anti-erythrocyte and anti-cardiolipin antibodies and the presence or intensity of the anemia. Our data suggest that in areas of low endemicity and unstable transmission of malaria, P. vivax and P. falciparum infections present similar characteristics in terms of the induction of anemia and cytokine responses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Malaria Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa Aparecida Morais
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Leonardo José de Moura
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Graziela Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Ana Maria Revorêdo da Silva
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Paulo Marcelo
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cotias
authors.forename: Isaac Lima
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Silva-Filho
authors.forename: Cláudio Tadeu
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Daniel-Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D001323:Autoantibodies; D016207:Cytokines