The clinical manifestations of severe malaria are several and occur in different anatomical sites. Both parasite- and host-related factors contribute to the pathogenicity of the severe forms of the disease. Cytoadherence of infected red blood cells to the vascular endothelium of different organs and rosetting are unique features of malaria parasites which are likely to contribute to the vascula...

Endothelin1 (ET-1) is a 21-amino acid peptide produced by the vascular endothelium under hypoxia, that acts locally as regulator of vascular tone and inflammation. The role of ET-1 in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is unknown, although tissue hypoxia is frequent as a result of the cytoadherence of parasitized red blood cell (pRBC) to the microvasculature. Here, we show that both synthetic and en...

Cytoadherence of Plasmodium-falciparum-parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs) to host receptors is the key phenomenon in the pathological process of the malaria disease. Some of these interactions can originate poor outcomes responsible for 1 to 3 million annual deaths mostly occurring among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) represents an important exception of the...

Interactions of Leptospira interrogans with cultured endothelial and kidney epithelial cells were assayed by examining (i) cytoadherence of intrinsically radiolabeled leptospires to eucaryotic cell monolayers and (ii) penetration of leptospires through cell monolayers grown on polycarbonate filters in chemotaxis chambers. L. interrogans serovars attached to cultured cells in a dose- and time-de...

The infection caused by Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common but overlooked non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Treatment relies on one class of drugs, the 5-nitroimidazoles, but resistance is widespread. New drugs are urgently needed. We reported the effect of crude and purified saponin fractions of Manilkara rufula against Trichomonas vaginalis. The compound responsible for ...

Erythrocyte binding antigen 175 (EBA-175) is a P. falciparum protein that binds the major glycoprotein found on human erythrocytes, glycophorin A, during invasion. Here we present the crystal structure of the erythrocyte binding domain of EBA-175, RII, which has been established as a vaccine candidate. Binding sites for the heavily sialylated receptor glycophorin A are proposed based on a compl...

The var gene family encodes Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane 1 (PfEMP1) proteins that act as virulence factors responsible for both antigenic variation and cytoadherence of infected erythrocytes. These proteins orchestrate infected erythrocyte sequestration from blood circulation and contribute to adhesion-based complications of P. falciparum malaria infections. For this study, we ana...

Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria causes 200 million cases worldwide, 8 million being severe and complicated leading to ∼1 million deaths and ∼100,000 abortions annually. Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) has been implicated in cytoadherence and infected erythrocyte rosette formation, associated with cerebral malaria; chondroitin sulphate-A attachment and infected e...

Severe malaria is a life-threatening condition caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Rupture of red blood cells when merozoites release to the bloodstream is responsible for the clinical manifestations, febrile fever reaching 39 °C, and other unspecific symptoms. P. falciparum is considered as the worst form of malaria. Moreover, this species has cytoadherence to red blood cells. This can lead to an...