Plasma concentration of malaria parasite-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor in uncomplicated malaria patients correlates with parasitemia and disease severity.
Host macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria infections. Several Plasmodium parasite-derived MIFs were identified to have the potential to regulate host immune response. However, the role of Plasmodium MIFs in the immunopathogenesis of malaria infection and the relationships between these mediators and inflammatory cytokines remained unclear. In this study, we have investigated two Plasmodium MIFs in peripheral blood of uncomplicated malaria patients and analyzed their correlations with several major factors during malaria infection. We found that both Plasmodium falciparum MIF (PfMIF) and Plasmodium vivax MIF (PvMIF) levels in patients were positively correlated with parasitemia, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 but were not correlated with transforming growth factor β1 and IL-12. Of interest was that the PvMIF level was positively correlated with host body temperature and human MIF (HuMIF) concentrations. Moreover, multiple stepwise regression analysis also showed that parasitemia, IL-10, and HuMIF expression were significant predictors of Plasmodium MIF production. In addition, during antimalarial drug treatment, the decreasing of Plasmodium MIF concentrations was followed by parasitemia in most patients. Our results suggested that the Plasmodium MIF circulating level reflects the level of parasitemia and thus was closely correlated with disease severity in uncomplicated malaria. Therefore, this factor has the potential to be a promising disease predictor and is applicable in clinical diagnosis.
Han
Cong
C
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing, China.
Lin
Yahui
Y
Shan
Guangliang
G
Zhang
Zaixing
Z
Sun
Xiaodong
X
Wang
Zhensheng
Z
Wei
Chunyan
C
Deng
Yan
Y
Zhang
Lianhui
L
Bu
Lingyi
L
Shao
Dingding
D
Wang
Heng
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018512:Parasitemia; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12