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Variation of nitric oxide
levels in imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria
episodes
De Sousa, Karina*, Silva,
Marcelo S. and Tavira, Luís T.
Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Centro de Malária
e outras Doenças Tropicais, Unidade de Ensino e Investigação
da Clínica das Doenças Tropicais – Rua da Junqueira, 96,
1349-008 Lisboa Portugal.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
karinapsousa@ihmt.unl.pt.
Abbreviations: MCHC, Medium corpuscular hemoglobin
concentration; Hgb, hemoglobin; WBC, white blood cells; NO,
nitric oxide; Plt, platelets.
Accepted
2 November, 2007 |
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Nitric oxide (NO) has been recognized during the past two
decades as one of the most versatile players in the immune
system. Even though the molecular mechanisms responsible by
the naturally acquired immunity against malaria are still to
be clarified, the production of NO seems to play an
important role as a marker for the severity of the disease.
In this study we assess the level of nitric oxide in the
serum of subjects exposed to malarial settings but who have
not become clinically infected by plasmodia parasites. We
conclude that NO is in fact a marker of clinical infections
but cannot be used as an indicator of the disease’s
severity.
Key
words:
Nitric oxide, malaria,
Plasmodium
falciparum, imported malaria. |
