TY  - EJOU
AU  - Issifou, Saadou 
AU  - Mavoungou, Elie 
AU  - Borrmann, Steffen 
AU  - Bouyou-Akotet, Marielle K. 
AU  - Matsiegui, Pierre-Blaise 
AU  - Kremsner, Peter G. 
AU  - Ntoumi, Francine 

TI  - Severe malarial anemia associated with increased soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) concentrations in Gabonese children
T2  - European Cytokine Network

PY  - 2003
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
SN  - 1952-4005

AB  - To investigate if severe malarial anemia is associated with specific cytokine overproduction, we
evaluated serum levels of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10)
from three groups of young children with <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> infection (asymptomatic cases, uncomplicated
malaria cases and severe malarial anemia cases), in a hyperendemic area of Gabon. In uncomplicated cases, only
TNF levels were significantly (p < 0.001) increased in comparison to asymptomatic cases with <i>P. falciparum</i>
infection. High levels of sFasL, TNF-α and IL-10 were associated with low hemoglobin concentrations, sFasL
levels were significantly higher in children with severe malarial anemia (p < 0.001) as compared to both other
groups. The parasite density was positively correlated with IL-10, TNF-α and sFasL levels. TNF-α and sFasL, but
not IL-10 or parasitemia, were independent predictors of hemoglobin concentrations. These results suggest that,
in malaria, a specific dysregulation of the cytokine balance may lead to complications such as severe anemia.
KW  - <i>P. falciparum</i>
KW  -  severe anemia
KW  -  IL-10
KW  -  TNF-α
KW  -  children
KW  -  Central Africa

DO  -