Elevated serum levels of IL-1ra in children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria are associated with increased severity of disease.

Abstract

Animal models suggest that cytokines and chemokines play a role in cerebral malaria (CM) pathogenesis, but levels of a number of cytokines and chemokines thought to be important in the pathogenesis of other infectious diseases are not well characterized in children with CM. Serum levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured in 77 children with CM, 70 children with uncomplicated malaria (UM) and 63 healthy community children (CC) in Uganda. Children with CM had elevated serum levels of IL-1ra and IL-8 as compared to children with UM (median levels in pg/ml, 11,891 vs. 6510, P=0.05, and 63 vs. 41, P=0.01, respectively). Children with CM who died (n=4) had higher serum levels than survivors of IL-1ra (median levels in pg/ml, 65,757 vs. 10,355, P=0.02), G-CSF (709 vs. 117, P=0.02), and MCP-1 (1275 vs. 216, P=0.03) but not IL-8 (76 vs. 62, P=NS). Elevated IL-1ra levels are associated with increased disease severity in children with malaria, and very elevated levels of IL-1ra, G-CSF and MCP-1 are seen in children who die of CM.

• Authors: Chandy C John, Gregory S Park, Nadia Sam-Agudu, Robert O Opoka, Michael J Boivin
• Journal: Cytokine (Cytokine) Vol. 41 Issue 3 Pg. 204-8 (Mar 2008) ISSN: 1096-0023 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 18282763 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Chemokines
• Cytokines
• Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein

Topics

• Chemokines (blood)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Cytokines (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (blood, physiology)
• Malaria, Cerebral (diagnosis, immunology, mortality)
• Malaria, Falciparum (diagnosis, immunology, mortality)
• Male
• Severity of Illness Index
• Uganda