Invasion of erythroblasts by Pasmodium vivax: A new mechanism contributing to malarial anemia.
Severe malarial anemia causes considerable mortality and morbidity in endemic areas. Possible mechanisms underlying the anemia include lysis of parasitized and nonparasitized red cells as well as parasite product-mediated effects on erythropoiesis. The latter include suppression of erythropoiesis, dyserythropoiesis, and ineffective erythropoiesis. Present transmission electron microscope data in two cases of Pasmodium vivax malaria show a hitherto undescribed mechanism contributing to malarial anemia, namely, infection of erythroblasts by parasites and their subsequent degradation. No parasites were detected in the peripheral blood but parasites were found in the bone marrow. These findings emphasise the value of bone marrow examination in the diagnosis and eradication of malaria.
Ru
Yong-Xin
YX
Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China. ruyongxin@126.com
Mao
Bing-Yu
BY
Zhang
Feng-kui
FK
Pang
Tian-xiang
TX
Zhao
Shi-xuan
SX
Liu
Jin-hua
JH
Wickramasinghe
S N
SN
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure