title: Possible role of PGD2 in malaria infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To preliminarily investigate the possible role of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in malaria infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood and urinary samples (n = 120 each) were collected from Thai patients with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) with moderate (n = 26) and high (n = 4) parasitemia, patients with Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) (n = 30), patients with fever associated with other infections (n = 30), and healthy subjects (n = 30). PGD2 concentrations in plasma and urinary samples of healthy subjects, patients with fever associated with other infections and patients with malaria were determined using Prostaglandin D2-MOX express EIA kit (Cayman Chemical, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The possible association between PGD2 and malaria infections is clearly demonstrated with PGD2 concentration in urine. The urinary PGD2 concentrations were relatively high (about 5-fold) in patients with P. falciparum with moderate parasitemia and P. vivax infections compared with other groups. Furthermore, the concentration in patients with P. falciparum with moderate parasitemia and P. vivax infection were significantly higher than that in healthy subjects and patients with fever associated with other infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinary PGD2 concentrations may offer a more dependable and useful tool for predicting malaria severity. Confirmation is this preliminary finding is required with a larger sample size.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Bioclinical Sciences, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pimwan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thongdee
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Jiraporn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuesap
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Rama College of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Raewadee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wisedpanichkij
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Bioclinical Sciences, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Pharmacology and Molecular Biology of Malaria and Cholangiocarcinoma, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand. Electronic address: kesaratmu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kesara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Na-Bangchang
keywords: Malaria; Malaria severity; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; Prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2))