The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.

<h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major cause of illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. Young children bear the brunt of the disease and though older children and adults suffer relatively fewer clinical attacks, they remain susceptible to asymptomatic P. falcip...

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Main Authors: George M Warimwe, Linda M Murungi, Gathoni Kamuyu, George M Nyangweso, Juliana Wambua, Vivek Naranbhai, Helen A Fletcher, Adrian V S Hill, Philip Bejon, Faith H A Osier, Kevin Marsh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0057320&type=printable
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author George M Warimwe
Linda M Murungi
Gathoni Kamuyu
George M Nyangweso
Juliana Wambua
Vivek Naranbhai
Helen A Fletcher
Adrian V S Hill
Philip Bejon
Faith H A Osier
Kevin Marsh
author_facet George M Warimwe
Linda M Murungi
Gathoni Kamuyu
George M Nyangweso
Juliana Wambua
Vivek Naranbhai
Helen A Fletcher
Adrian V S Hill
Philip Bejon
Faith H A Osier
Kevin Marsh
author_sort George M Warimwe
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major cause of illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. Young children bear the brunt of the disease and though older children and adults suffer relatively fewer clinical attacks, they remain susceptible to asymptomatic P. falciparum infection. A better understanding of the host factors associated with immunity to clinical malaria and the ability to sustain asymptomatic P. falciparum infection will aid the development of improved strategies for disease prevention.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>Here we investigate whether full differential blood counts can predict susceptibility to clinical malaria among Kenyan children sampled at five annual cross-sectional surveys. We find that the ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes, measured in peripheral blood at the time of survey, directly correlates with risk of clinical malaria during follow-up. This association is evident among children with asymptomatic P. falciparum infection at the time the cell counts are measured (Hazard ratio (HR)  =  2.7 (95% CI 1.42, 5.01, P  =  0.002) but not in those without detectable parasitaemia (HR  =  1.0 (95% CI 0.74, 1.42, P  =  0.9).<h4>Conclusions</h4>We propose that the monocyte to lymphocyte ratio, which is easily derived from routine full differential blood counts, reflects an individual's capacity to mount an effective immune response to P. falciparum infection.
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spelling doaj-art-6121631c297b4fee8a9870abcf44e77d2025-08-20T02:30:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0182e5732010.1371/journal.pone.0057320The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.George M WarimweLinda M MurungiGathoni KamuyuGeorge M NyangwesoJuliana WambuaVivek NaranbhaiHelen A FletcherAdrian V S HillPhilip BejonFaith H A OsierKevin Marsh<h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major cause of illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. Young children bear the brunt of the disease and though older children and adults suffer relatively fewer clinical attacks, they remain susceptible to asymptomatic P. falciparum infection. A better understanding of the host factors associated with immunity to clinical malaria and the ability to sustain asymptomatic P. falciparum infection will aid the development of improved strategies for disease prevention.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>Here we investigate whether full differential blood counts can predict susceptibility to clinical malaria among Kenyan children sampled at five annual cross-sectional surveys. We find that the ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes, measured in peripheral blood at the time of survey, directly correlates with risk of clinical malaria during follow-up. This association is evident among children with asymptomatic P. falciparum infection at the time the cell counts are measured (Hazard ratio (HR)  =  2.7 (95% CI 1.42, 5.01, P  =  0.002) but not in those without detectable parasitaemia (HR  =  1.0 (95% CI 0.74, 1.42, P  =  0.9).<h4>Conclusions</h4>We propose that the monocyte to lymphocyte ratio, which is easily derived from routine full differential blood counts, reflects an individual's capacity to mount an effective immune response to P. falciparum infection.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0057320&type=printable
spellingShingle George M Warimwe
Linda M Murungi
Gathoni Kamuyu
George M Nyangweso
Juliana Wambua
Vivek Naranbhai
Helen A Fletcher
Adrian V S Hill
Philip Bejon
Faith H A Osier
Kevin Marsh
The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
PLoS ONE
title The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
title_full The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
title_fullStr The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
title_full_unstemmed The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
title_short The ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in Kenyan children.
title_sort ratio of monocytes to lymphocytes in peripheral blood correlates with increased susceptibility to clinical malaria in kenyan children
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0057320&type=printable
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