Publications by authors named "Samuel O Blankson"
Article Synopsis
- A study investigated the use of neopterin, a marker for immune activation, to assess its effectiveness in predicting outcomes for children with severe malaria in Benin.
- While neopterin levels did not significantly differ among various severe malaria types, higher levels were linked to severe malarial anemia and associated with mortality risk.
- The analysis showed that neopterin levels could serve as a potential biomarker for predicting fatality in patients suffering from severe falciparum malaria, with a promising accuracy indicated by the AUC-ROC value of 0.77.
The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR)-rs867186 G allele has been linked to high plasma levels of soluble EPCR (sEPCR) and controversially associated with either susceptibility or resistance to severe and cerebral malaria. In this study, quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and sequencing were used to assess sEPCR levels and EPCR-rs867186 polymorphism in blood samples from Beninese children with different clinical presentations of malaria. Our findings show that sEPCR levels were higher at hospital admission than during convalescence and that EPCR-rs867186 G allele was associated with increased sEPCR plasma levels, malaria severity, and mortality rate (P < .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cytoadhesion and sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells (iRBC) in the microvasculature of vital organs are a major cause of malaria pathology. Several studies have provided evidence on the implication of the human host intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as a major receptor for iRBCs binding to P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) in the development of severe and cerebral malaria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalaria-related deaths could be prevented if powerful diagnostic and reliable prognostic biomarkers were available to allow rapid prediction of the clinical severity allowing adequate treatment. Using quantitative ELISA, we assessed the plasma concentrations of Procalcitonin, Pentraxine-3, Ang-2, sTie-2, suPAR, sEPCR and sICAM-1 in a cohort of Beninese children with malaria to investigate their potential association with clinical manifestations of malaria. We found that all molecules showed higher levels in children with severe or cerebral malaria compared to those with uncomplicated malaria (-value < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study highlights the growing concern over Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale as awareness shifts from falciparum malaria, which has seen a decline in global transmission.
- Researchers developed new SYBR Green-based real-time PCR assays that significantly improve the detection limits of these minor Plasmodium species compared to traditional methods.
- The findings from a cross-sectional study in Ghana revealed prevalence rates of 18.6% for P. malariae and 5.5% for P. ovale, emphasizing the need for improved detection tools in malaria diagnosis to enhance public health interventions.
Background: Natural exposure to gametocytes can result in the development of immunity against the gametocyte by the host as well as genetic diversity in the gametocyte. This study evaluated the quantity and quality of natural immune responses against a gametocyte antigen, Pfs230 as well as the prevalence and diversity of gametocytes circulating in children living in two communities in southern Ghana.
Methods: Whole blood (2.