Cytokine expression in the brain in human cerebral malaria

Abstract

Evidence from clinical studies and murine models supports a role for cytokines in the pathogenesis of human cerebral malaria (CM). In this study, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to investigate expression of mRNA for transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interleukin (IL)-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in human postmortem tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the distribution of cytokine protein. TGF-β was expressed in normal brain, in CM, and in meningitis and encephalitis. IL-1β was absent from normal brain but was detected in CM and other cerebral infections. TNF-α mRNA was expressed only in CM, although TNF-α protein was also seen in mening..