Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
High Yield Purification of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoites For Use in Opsonizing Antibody Assays
Published on: July 17, 2014
[Nutritional status and immunoglobulin and cytokine concentrations in children with malaria]
S Blair Trujillo1, G Alvarez Sánchez, A Villa Restrepo
1Universidad de Antioquia. Medellín. Colombia. sblair@catios.udea.edu.co
Insights
Children in high malaria transmission areas show higher immunoglobulin E and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels. Both high and low transmission areas exhibit significant undernutrition and elevated immune markers, indicating a dual burden of disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Nutritional immunology
- Global health disparities
Background:
- Malaria and protein-energy malnutrition are significant global health challenges, particularly affecting children in endemic regions.
- Understanding the interplay between nutritional status, immune responses (immunoglobulins and cytokines), and malaria transmission is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and concentrations of immunoglobulins and cytokines in children residing in areas with differing malaria transmission risks.
- To compare immune markers and nutritional indicators between children from high and low malaria transmission zones in Colombia.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 128 children (aged 4-11 years) from two Colombian regions with distinct malaria transmission intensities.
- Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric indicators (height/weight, age/height, weight/age indexes).
- Serum concentrations of interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), total IgE, and malaria-specific IgE were measured.
Main Results:
- Children in the high malaria transmission area exhibited significantly higher concentrations of total IgE, malaria-specific IgE, and TNF-alpha.
- Across both transmission areas, measured levels of total IgE (84%), specific IgE (32%), TNF-alpha (72%), and IL-10 (84%) exceeded standard values.
- High prevalence of undernutrition was observed: 33% acute undernutrition (wasting), 52% chronic undernutrition (stunting), and 56% global undernutrition.
Conclusions:
- Malaria and protein-energy malnutrition are highly prevalent in both study areas, posing a dual health burden on children.
- Stunting was more pronounced in the low transmission area, while the high transmission area showed double the mean total IgE levels compared to the low transmission area, with no observed association with nutritional status.
- Specific IgE levels did not vary based on the Plasmodium species causing infection, suggesting broader immune responses rather than species-specific IgE.
Objectives:
To relate nutritional status and concentrations of immunoglobulins and cytokines in children with malaria from two areas with different risk of malaria transmission.
Methods:
We performed a descriptive, cross-sectional study comparing children aged 4-11 years old from two areas with different risk of malaria transmission in Colombia. The sample consisted of 66 children from El Bagre and Zaragoza (high transmission area) and 62 children from Turbo (low transmission area). To determine the risk of undernutrition, height/weight, age/height and weight/age indexes were calculated, and serum concentrations of interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), total IgE and malaria-specific IgE were measured.
Results:
In the high transmission area, concentrations of total and specific IgE and of TNF-alpha were significantly higher. In both areas, the values obtained for total IgE (84 %), specific-IgE (32 %), TNF-alpha (72 %) and IL-10 (84 %) were higher than standard values. Anthropometric indicators revealed acute undernutrition (wasting) in 33 %, chronic undernutrition (stunting) in 52 %, and global undernutrition in 56 % of the population.
Conclusions:
Malaria and protein-energy malnutrition were highly prevalent in both areas. In children from the low transmission area, stunting was significantly greater. In the high transmission area, the mean total IgE was twice that found in the low transmission area and no association with nutritional status was observed. Levels of specific IgE did not differ according to the species of Plasmodium infection.
