Plasmodium falciparum gene expression signatures and antibody profiling implicate the fikk, phist, and surf multigene families in severe malaria syndromes.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent Plasmodium species, responsible for the life-threatening severe malaria syndromes of cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia. In a Mali case-control study, we determined parasite gene expression in cerebral malaria, severe malarial anemia, and concurrent disease featuring both syndromes by comparing RNA-seq data from severe malaria cases to matched uncomplicated malaria controls with or without a history of cerebral malaria. While severe malarial anemia comparisons produced comparatively low levels of differential expression, the comparisons of cerebral malaria and concurrent disease yielded significant differential expression of multigene families (fikk, phist, and surf) implicated in processes that escalate disease severity, such as cytoadhe

SUBMITTER: Cummings BE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854251 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature