Association between inflammatory cytokine levels and anemia during Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections in Mangaluru: A Southwestern Coastal Region of India

Kishore Punnath; Kiran K Dayanand; Valleesha N Chandrashekhar; Rajeshwara N Achur; Srinivasa B Kakkilaya; Susanta K Ghosh; Suchetha N Kumari; D Channe Gowda

doi:10.4103/tp.TP_66_18

Association between inflammatory cytokine levels and anemia during Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections in Mangaluru: A Southwestern Coastal Region of India

Trop Parasitol. 2019 Jul-Dec;9(2):98-107. doi: 10.4103/tp.TP_66_18. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Authors

Kishore Punnath¹, Kiran K Dayanand¹, Valleesha N Chandrashekhar¹, Rajeshwara N Achur¹, Srinivasa B Kakkilaya², Susanta K Ghosh³, Suchetha N Kumari⁴, D Channe Gowda⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Kuvempu University, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India.
² Light House Polyclinic, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
³ Department of Molecular Parasitology, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Poojanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
⁵ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, USA.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Dysregulated production of inflammatory cytokines might play important role in anemia during malaria infection. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of anemia due to malaria, associated complications, and inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-10) across varying anemic intensity during malaria infections.

Materials and methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at District Wenlock hospital in Mangaluru city. Samples from 627 patients and 168 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed for level of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), and inflammatory cytokines. The blood cell parameters and inflammatory cytokines levels across varying intensity of anemia were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and pair-wise comparison between two groups were by Mann-Whitney U-test. Correlations were calculated by Pearson's and Spearman rank correlations.

Results: Compared to HC, Hb, and RBC levels were significantly lower in infected patients. On comparison with mild anemia patients (Hb 8-10.9 g/dL), the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly elevated, whereas IL-10 levels were lower during severe anemia (SA) (Hb <5 g/dL). In this endemic setting, we found a strong negative association between Hb levels and parasitemia, Hb and TNF-α, and positive relationship with IL-10; anemic patients also had significantly high TNF-α/IL-10 ratios. SA was associated with complications such as acute renal failure (16.0%), jaundice (16.0%), metabolic acidosis (24.0%), hypoglycemia (12.0%), hyperparasitemia (4.0%), and hepatic dysfunction (16.0%).

Conclusions: Contrary to its benign reputation, Plasmodium vivax (Pv) infections can also result in severe malarial anemia (SMA) and its associated severe complications similar to Plasmodium falciparum infections. Dysregulated inflammatory cytokine responses play an important role in the pathogenesis of SMA, especially during Pv infections.

Keywords: Cytokines; India; Mangaluru; Plasmodium vivax; malarial complications; severe anemia.

Abstract

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