Table 1 Potential blood biomarkers for cerebral malaria caused by P. falciparum and P. coatneyi infections

S100A9

+

+

Leukocyte extravasation and inflammatory responses; increased S100A9 plasma level was found to be correlated with the parasite load and periodic fever.

^{74,75,101,102}

MAG

-

+

Plays an important role in axons and myelin interactions, which can be damaged by infected RBC sequestration in CM.

^103,104

IL1RN

+

+

Involved in anti-inflammatory activities; upregulated in plasma and PBMC of CM patients.

^{55,105,106,107}

S100A8

+

+

Leukocyte extravasation and inflammatory responses; increased S100A8 plasma level was found to be correlated with the parasite load and periodic fever.

^{74,75,101,102}

CD177

+

+

Surface glycoprotein that plays a role in neutrophil activation and regulates neutrophils transendothelial migration; upregulated in CM patients.

^71,72,73,108

LCN2

+

+

Iron sequestration in SMA; increased LCN2 plasma level in CM patients.

^76,109,110

MMP9

+

+

Breakdown BBB for neutrophil transmigration; upregulated in whole blood of CM children.

^111,112,113

NFE2

+

-

Regulates the phenotypic polarization of neutrophils. Important transcription factor in erythropoiesis, downregulated in P. vivax infection

^114,115

CHIT1

+

+

A resistant candidate gene of severe malaria; increased CHIT1 plasma level in African CM children; diversity of plasma CHIT1 activity affected by genetic and environmental factors.

^116,117