Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection, with resistance to antimalarial drugs, including artemisinin-based combination therapies(ACTs), posing a significant threat. CD4+ naive cells expressing CCR7 are known to play a protective role, as they readily migrate to secondary lymphoid tissues activated by CCL19 chemokines. In an effort to address this challenge, we investigated the impact of Annona muricata, an herbaceous and immunomodulatory plant, on CCL19 concentration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbdominal obesity is defined as an accumulation visceral fat in abdomen region. It is linked to metabolic disorders that contribute to chronic diseases. Triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) ratio is considered as an insulin resistance (IR) marker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMassive pro-inflammatory cytokines production has been correlated with the pathogenesis of severe dengue disease. The active compound of mangosteen fruit pericarps, α-mangostin, has been commonly used as traditional medicine and dietary supplement. We examined the effect of α-mangostin against dengue virus (DENV) infection in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by the measurement of virus titer and TNF-α and IFN-γ cytokines concentration post infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe pathogenesis of plasma leakage during dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) is largely unknown. Angiopoietins are key regulators of vascular integrity: Angiopoietin-1 is stored in platelets and maintains vascular integrity, and endothelium-derived angiopoietin-2 promotes vascular leakage. We determined angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 levels in a cohort of children in Indonesia with DHF/DSS and related them to plasma leakage markers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Thrombocytopenia, bleeding and plasma leakage are cardinal features of severe dengue. Endothelial cell activation with exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) may play an etiological role in this condition.
Methods And Principal Findings: In a cohort of 73 Indonesian children with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), of which 30 with dengue shock syndrome (DSS), we measured plasma levels of the WPB constituents von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF propeptide and osteoprotegerin (OPG), together with activity levels of the VWF-cleaving enzyme ADAMTS-13 and the amount of VWF in a platelet binding conformation (VWF activation factor).