One Episode of Self-Resolving Plasmodium yoelii Infection Transiently Exacerbates Chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Malaria and tuberculosis (Tb) are two of the main causes of death from infectious diseases globally. The pathogenic agents, Plasmodium parasites and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are co-endemic in many regions in the world, however, compared to other co-infections like HIV/Tb or helminth/Tb, malaria/Tb has been given less attention both in clinical and immunological studies. Due to the lack of sufficient human data, the impact of malaria on Tb and vice versa is difficult to estimate but co-infections are likely to occur very frequently.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Coinfection Has No Impact on Plasmodium berghei ANKA-Induced Experimental Cerebral Malaria in C57BL/6 Mice.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe complication of human infection with Plasmodium falciparum. The mechanisms predisposing to CM are still not fully understood. Proinflammatory immune responses are required for the control of blood-stage malaria infection but are also implicated in the pathogenesis of CM.

An experimental model to study tuberculosis-malaria coinfection upon natural transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium berghei.

Coinfections naturally occur due to the geographic overlap of distinct types of pathogenic organisms. Concurrent infections most likely modulate the respective immune response to each single pathogen and may thereby affect pathogenesis and disease outcome. Coinfected patients may also respond differentially to anti-infective interventions.