B cell phenotyping, TLR4 expression determination, anti-parasite antibody profiling of serum samples and epidemiological data collection of patients diagnosed with malaria and comparison with healthy controls and non malarial-fever participants at a tertiary referral centre

The immune system is a remarkable defense againstpotentially pathogenic microorganisms B lymphocytes derive fromlymphoid progenitor cells which in turn are derived from hematopoietic stemcells B cell development occurs in thebone marrow and involves the sequential differentiation of stem cells intoproB preB and then immature B cells Animal studies in mouse models of malariahave shown an increase in the immature B cell population Similarly in Kisumucity Kenya which is hyperendemic for malaria children suffering fromfalciparum malaria have a large proportion of immature B cells in theperipheral blood This is relative to normal controls Study of these immaturecells may help in the understanding of the disease pathogenesis The presentstudy will be similar to the one done in Kenya and will evaluate the proportionof immature B cells in peripheral blood of adults and children suffering fromvivax and falciparum malaria The controls will be those with fevers that arenot malaria (smear negative) as also normal healthy participants The presentstudy constitutes basic research and may or may not have an eventual application However it will aid in understanding the pathogenesis of malaria