Fatal Pediatric Cerebral Malaria Is Associated with Intravascular Monocytes and Platelets That Are Increased with HIV Coinfection.

ABSTRACT: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a major contributor to malaria deaths, but its pathophysiology is not well understood. While sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes is thought to be critical, the roles of inflammation and coagulation are controversial. In a large series of Malawian children hospitalized with CM, HIV coinfection was more prevalent than in pediatric population estimates (15% versus 2%, P < 0.0001, chi-square test), with higher mortality than that seen in HIV-uninfected children (23% versus 17%, P = 0.0178, chi-square test). HIV-infected (HIV(+)) children with autopsy-confirmed CM were older than HIV-uninfected children (median age, 99 months versus 32 months, P = 0.0007, Mann-Whitney U test) and appeared to lack severe immunosuppression. Because HIV infection is associated with d

SUBMITTER: Hochman SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4611030 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature