The authors describe a fatal case of tertian malaria (Plasmodium vivax) imported to the Czech Republic from India. Severe clinical symptoms leading to shock and multi-organ failure are more frequent in tropical malaria (P. falciparum). Despite the use oc continuous veno-venous haemodiafiltration HLA-DR decline and death occurred. The effect of the administered antimalarias drugs was good.

• MeSH
• cestování MeSH
• fatální výsledek MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie vivax epidemiologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• anglický abstrakt MeSH
• časopisecké články MeSH
• kazuistiky MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Indie MeSH

• Klíčová slova
• MALARIA/prevention and control *,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Rumunsko MeSH

BACKGROUND: Malaria represents one of the most important imported tropical infectious diseases in European travellers. The objective of the study was to identify changes in the epidemiological features of imported malaria and to analyse the clinical findings and outcomes of imported malaria. METHODS: This single-centre descriptive study retrospectively analysed the medical records of all imported malaria cases in travellers treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases of University Hospital Bulovka in Prague from 2006 to 2019. RESULTS: The study included 203 patients with a median age of 37 years (IQR 30-48) and a male to female ratio of 3.72:1. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species (149/203), and its proportion significantly increased from 35/60 cases (58.3%) in 2006-2011 to 69/80 (86.3%) in 2016-2019 (p < 0.001). In contrast, the incidence of Plasmodium vivax malaria decreased from 19/60 cases (31.7%) in 2006-2011 to 5/80 (6.3%) in 2016-2019 (p < 0.001). Malaria was imported from sub-Saharan Africa in 161/203 cases (79.3%). The proportion of travellers from Southeast and South Asia decreased from 16/60 (26.7%) and 6/60 (10.0%) in 2006-2011 to 2/80 (2.5%) and no cases (0.0%) in 2016-2019, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006). Tourism was the most common reason for travel (82/203), however, the proportion of non-tourists significantly increased over time from 29/60 (48.3%) in 2006-2011 to 55/80 (68.8%) in 2016-2019, p = 0.015. Severe malaria developed in 32/203 (15.8%) patients who were significantly older (p = 0.013) and whose treatment was delayed (p < 0.001). Two lethal outcomes were observed during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significant increase in P. falciparum malaria, which frequently resulted in severe disease, especially in older patients and those with delayed treatment initiation. The rising proportion of imported malaria in non-tourists, including business travellers and those visiting friends and relatives, is another characteristic finding analogous to the trends observed in Western European and North American centres. The described changes in the aetiology and epidemiology of imported malaria may serve to optimize pre-travel consultation practices and improve post-travel diagnostics and medical care.

• Klíčová slova
• Antimalarials, Imported malaria, Malaria, Plasmodium, Travel medicine, Travelers,
• MeSH
• antimalarika * terapeutické užití   MeSH
• cestování MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie vivax * epidemiologie   MeSH
• malárie * epidemiologie   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• tropická malárie * farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antimalarika * MeSH

• MeSH
• antimalarika terapeutické užití   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• horečka neznámého původu MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• Plasmodium falciparum izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• tropické lékařství MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Afrika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antimalarika MeSH

Neural injuries in cerebral malaria patients are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, a comprehensive research approach to study this issue is lacking, so herein we propose an in vitro system to study human cerebral malaria using cellular approaches. Our first goal was to establish a cellular system to identify the molecular alterations in human brain vasculature cells that resemble the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in cerebral malaria (CM). Through transcriptomic analysis, we characterized specific gene expression profiles in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) activated by the Plasmodium falciparum parasites. We also suggest potential new genes related to parasitic activation. Then, we studied its impact at brain level after Plasmodium falciparum endothelial activation to gain a deeper understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying CM. For that, the impact of HBMEC-P. falciparum-activated secretomes was evaluated in human brain organoids. Our results support the reliability of in vitro cellular models developed to mimic CM in several aspects. These systems can be of extreme importance to investigate the factors (parasitological and host) influencing CM, contributing to a molecular understanding of pathogenesis, brain injury, and dysfunction.

• Klíčová slova
• HBMEC activation, brain organoids, cerebral malaria, human iPSCs, secretome, transcriptome,
• MeSH
• endoteliální buňky metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek patologie   MeSH
• mozková malárie * metabolismus   parazitologie   patologie   MeSH
• organoidy metabolismus   MeSH
• Plasmodium falciparum MeSH
• reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Malaria represents the most important parasitic infection imported from the tropics causing death in 1-2 % of travelers with this diagnosis. Around 30 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the Czech Republic every year. Fever is the most common clinical presentation. The most severe forms of malaria are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The diagnosis of malaria is based on examination of stained thick and thin blood smears. This method enables determination of Plasmodium species and parasite count. The treatment of ma-laria has to be initiated immediately after the laboratory confirmation. In the Czech Republic, uncomplicated falciparum malaria is treated by oral administration of artemether/lumefantrine or atovaquone/proguanil. Complicated falciparum malaria is treated by parenteral administration of quinine in combination with clindamycin. For the chemoprophylaxis of malaria in travelers to the highly endemic regions, atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine are recommended.

• MeSH
• antimalarika terapeutické užití   MeSH
• cestování * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• tropická malárie farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antimalarika MeSH

There are an estimated over 200 million yearly cases of malaria worldwide. Despite concerted international effort to combat the disease, it still causes approximately half a million deaths every year, the majority of which are young children with Plasmodium falciparum infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Successes are largely attributed to malaria prevention strategies, such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor spraying, as well as improved access to existing treatments. One important hurdle to new approaches for the treatment and prevention of malaria is our limited understanding of the biology of Plasmodium infection and its complex interaction with the immune system of its human host. Therefore, the elimination of malaria in Africa not only relies on existing tools to reduce malaria burden, but also requires fundamental research to develop innovative approaches. Here, we summarize our discoveries from investigations of ethnic groups of West Africa who have different susceptibility to malaria.

• Klíčová slova
• B cells < cells, T cells < cells, dendritic cells < cells, inflammation < processes, macrophages < cells, monocytes, parasitic < infections,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• tropická malárie epidemiologie   imunologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• subsaharská Afrika MeSH

BACKGROUND: Eliminating falciparum malaria in Cambodia is a top priority, requiring the implementation of novel tools and strategies to interrupt its transmission. To date, few data are available regarding the contributions to malaria transmission of symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers. METHODS: Direct-membrane and skin feeding assays (DMFAs, SFAs) were performed, using Anopheles minimus and Anopheles dirus, to determine infectivity of symptomatic falciparum-infected patients and malaria asymptomatic carriers; a subset of the latter were followed up for 2 months to assess their transmission potential. RESULTS: By microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction, Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte prevalence rates were, respectively, 19.3% (n = 21/109) and 44% (n = 47/109) on day (D) 0 and 17.9% (n = 5/28) and 89.3% (n = 25/28) in recrudescent patients (Drec) (RT-PCR Drec vs D0 P = .002). Falciparum malaria patient infectivity was low on D0 (6.2%; n = 3/48) and in Drec (8.3%; n = 1/12). Direct-membrane feeding assays and SFAs gave similar results. None of the falciparum (n = 0/19) and 3 of 28 Plasmodium vivax asymptomatic carriers were infectious to mosquitoes, including those that were followed up for 2 months. Overall, P. falciparum gametocytemias were low except in a few symptomatic carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Only symptomatic falciparum malaria patients were infectious to mosquito vectors at baseline and recrudescence, highlighting the need to detect promptly and treat effectively P. falciparum patients.

• MeSH
• Anopheles parazitologie   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• komáří přenašeči parazitologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie vivax parazitologie   přenos   MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• paraziti patogenita   MeSH
• Plasmodium falciparum patogenita   MeSH
• Plasmodium vivax patogenita   MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• tropická malárie parazitologie   přenos   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• klinické zkoušky MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Kambodža MeSH

Malaria is one of the worlds most important infectious diseases, occurring in many tropical and subtropical countries. The causative agent is a parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. More than 200 million people get malaria every year worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of them, mostly children under 5 years of age, die of it. Thanks to prevention programmes implemented by various organisations headed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the aim of eliminating malaria, cases have been declining in recent years. However, particularly in African countries, malaria continues to be a health and economic issue.

• Klíčová slova
• Malaria, Plasmodium, prevention programmes, vaccine,
• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malárie * epidemiologie   prevence a kontrola   parazitologie   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The Fulani ethnic group has relatively better protection from Plasmodium falciparum malaria, as reflected by fewer symptomatic cases of malaria, lower infection rates, and lower parasite densities compared to sympatric ethnic groups. However, the basis for this lower susceptibility to malaria by the Fulani is unknown. The incidence of classic malaria resistance genes are lower in the Fulani than in other sympatric ethnic populations, and targeted SNP analyses of other candidate genes involved in the immune response to malaria have not been able to account for the observed difference in the Fulani susceptibility to P.falciparum. Therefore, we have performed a pilot study to examine global transcription and DNA methylation patterns in specific immune cell populations in the Fulani to elucidate the mechanisms that confer the lower susceptibility to P.falciparum malaria. When we compared uninfected and infected Fulani individuals, in contrast to uninfected and infected individuals from the sympatric ethnic group Mossi, we observed a key difference: a strong transcriptional response was only detected in the monocyte fraction of the Fulani, where over 1000 genes were significantly differentially expressed upon P.falciparum infection.

• Klíčová slova
• Fulani, P. falciparum, chromosomes, genes, human, immunology, inflammasome, innate immunity, malaria, monocyte, transcriptome,
• MeSH
• etnicita * MeSH
• genetická transkripce * MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metylace DNA MeSH
• monocyty imunologie   MeSH
• odolnost vůči nemocem * MeSH
• pilotní projekty MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• tropická malárie genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH