Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37525227›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2023

Inflammatory cytokines as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of severe malaria in children in Ghana.

Elizabeth Obeng-Aboagye, Augustina Frimpong, Jones Amo Amponsah, Samuel E Danso, Ewurama D A Owusu, Michael Fokuo Ofori

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Article in Malaria journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. Heme oxygenase-1 and malaria pathogenesis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026
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  14. Sacha inchi (Open veterinary journal · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Elizabeth Obeng-AboagyeDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Augustina FrimpongDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. AFrimpong@noguchi.ug.edu.gh.
Jones Amo AmponsahDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Samuel E DansoGA East Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
Ewurama D A OwusuDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Michael Fokuo OforiDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. MOfori@noguchi.ug.edu.gh.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSevere malaria (SM) is a fatal multi-system disease which accounted for an estimated 619,000 deaths in 2021. Less than 30% of children presenting with SM are diagnosed and treated promptly, resulting in increased mortality and neurologic impairments in survivors. Studies have identified cytokine profiles that differentiate the various clinical manifestations of malaria (severe and uncomplicated). However, the diagnostic capability of these cytokines in differentiating between the disease states in terms of cut-off values has not yet been determined.

methodsThe plasma levels of 22 pro-inflammatory cytokines (Eotaxin/CCL 11, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)- 2, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-12p40/p70, IL-17A, RANTES, MCP-1, IL-15, IL-5, IL-1RA, IL-2R, IFN-α, IP-10, TNF, MIG, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-7, IL-8 and Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), and 3 anti-inflammatory cytokines-(IL-4, IL-13 and IL-10) in patients with SM, uncomplicated malaria (UM) and other febrile conditions, were measured and compared using the Human Cytokine Magnetic 25-Plex Panel. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic value of these cytokines.

resultsThe level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-17A, was significantly higher in the SM group as compared to the UM group. Levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines however did not differ significantly among the SM and UM groups. Only IL-1β and IL-17A showed good diagnostic potential after ROC curve analysis.

conclusionThe data show that levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines correlate with malaria disease severity. IL-1β and IL-17A showed good diagnostic potentials and can be considered for use in clinical practice to target treatment.

Indexed as

CytokinesMalariaBiomarkersChildEarly DiagnosisGhanaHumansInterleukin-17BiomarkersCytokinesInterleukin-17Anti-inflammatory cytokinesBiomarkerPro-inflammatory cytokinesSevere malariaUncomplicated malaria

Identifiers

PMID37525227
PMCPMC10388454

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.