Association of IL-4 and IL-10 maternal haplotypes with immune responses to P. falciparum in mothers and newborns.

Background: Particular cytokine gene polymorphisms are involved in the regulation of the antibody production. The consequences of already described IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 gene polymorphisms on biological parameters and antibody levels were investigated among 576 mothers at delivery and their newborns in the context of P. falciparum placental malaria infection.

Extended high efficacy of the combination sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine with artesunate in children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria on the Benin coast, West Africa.

Background: A study carried out in 2003-2005 in Southern Benin showed a day-28 sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) monotherapy failure rate greater than 40%, while for SP combined with artesunate (SP-AS) the failure rate was 5.3%. Such a large difference could be explained by the relatively short 28-day follow-up period, with a substantial number of recurrent infections possibly occurring after day 28.