Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma β-endorphin levels in children with cerebral malaria.

Objectives: Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most lethal form of malaria, yet its pathogenesis is not fully understood. Cytoadherence, sequestration, alterations in cytokine expression, inflammation, and microvascular obstruction are all hypothesized to be important in the aetio-pathogenesis of coma which characterizes cerebral malaria and the death which sometimes result. Beta (β)-endorphin has been postulated to be involved in the pathogenetic processes of inflammation and cytokine expression, although the exact role is unknown.