| Abstract: | Haematological and cytokine alterations in malaria are a broad and controversialsubject in the literature. However, few studies have simultaneously evaluated variouscytokines in a single patient group during the acute and convalescent phases ofinfection. The aim of this study was to sequentially characterise alterations inhaematological patters and circulating plasma cytokine and chemokine levels inpatients infected with Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium falciparum from a Brazilianendemic area during the acute and convalescent phases of infection. During the acutephase, thrombocytopaenia, eosinopaenia, lymphopaenia and an increased number of bandcells were observed in the majority of the patients. During the convalescent phase,the haematologic parameters returned to normal. During the acute phase, P. vivax andP. falciparum patients had significantly higher interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-17,interferon-γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β andgranulocyte-colony stimulating factor levels than controls and maintained high levelsduring the convalescent phase. IL-10 was detected at high concentrations during theacute phase, but returned to normal levels during the convalescent phase. PlasmaIL-10 concentration was positively correlated with parasitaemia in P. vivax and P.falciparum-infected patients. The same was true for the TNF-α concentration in P.falciparum-infected patients. Finally, the haematological and cytokine profiles weresimilar between uncomplicated P. falciparum and P. vivax infections. |
