Relative levels of IL4 and IFN-γ in complicated malaria: Association with IL4 polymorphism and peripheral parasitemia

Functional IL4-590 C/T polymorphisms and the relative amounts of IL4 and IFN-γ were investigated in relation to severity of malaria in 110 and 169 Thai patients with complicated and uncomplicated malaria, respectively. The plasma IL4 and IFN-γ levels were determined by ELISA and the IL4-590 C/T polymorphisms were genotyped. The IFN-γ levels were significantly elevated in patients with complicated malaria in the initial stage of the disease before treatment compared to the levels found with uncomplicated malaria (231 pg/ml versus 150 pg/ml, p = 0.0029), while the IL4 levels were significantly elevated 7 days after treatment (167 pg/ml versus 81 pg/ml, p = 0.0003). Our study did not reveal any association between the IL4-590 C/T transition and the severity of malaria. However, a significant difference in the IL4 to IFN-γ ratio between patients with complicated and uncomplicated malaria was observed only in patients with IL4-590 T allele homozygosity (geometric mean: 0.321 versus 0.613, p = 0.0087 for TT allele). A significant inverse correlation between IL4 to IFN-γ ratio and peripheral parasitemia was observed only in complicated malaria patients carrying TT genotype (r = −0.283, p = 0.046). These results suggest that the IL4-590 C/T polymorphism may play a role in the balance between IL4 and IFN-γ, as well as in the control of parasitemia, which in turn may alter the severity of malaria.