Raised plasma insulin level and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) score in cerebral malaria: evidence for insulin resistance and marker of virulence

• Authors: Elrashid M Eltahir , Gehad ElGhazali , Thoraya M E A-Elgadir , Ishraga E A-Elbasit , Mustafa I Elbashir , Hayder A Giha
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Objective: To study the glycaemic profile of patients with severe malaria (SM). Methods: For this purpose, 110 SM patients were recruited. Pre-treatment random blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured in a subset of donors. An ex-vivo experiment was developed for estimation of glucose consumption by parasitized erythrocytes. Results: Hyperglycaemia was frequent in SM but more commonly associated with cerebral malaria (CM), while hyperinsulinaemia was recognized in severe-malarial-hypotension (median, 25 %-75 %, 188.2, 93.8-336.8 pmol/L). The plasma insulin level was positively correlated with age (CC = 0.457, p < 0.001) and negatively with parasitaemia (CC = -0.368, p = 0.045). Importantly, fatal-CM was associated with hyperglycaemia (12.22, 6.5-14.6 mmol/L), hyperinsulinaemia (141.0, 54.0-186.8 pmol/L) and elevated homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) values. However, there was a trend of higher glucose consumption by parasites in CM compared with that in uncomplicated malaria (UM). Conclusion: Hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and elevated HOMA are evidence for insulin resistance and possibly pancreatic B-cell dysfunction in fatal-CM.

Keywords

EN

insulin resistance; virulence; hyperglycaemia; HOMA; cerebral malaria

• Publisher: Polish Biochemical Society
• Journal: Acta Biochimica Polonica
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 57
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 513-520

Dates

published

2010

received

2010-03-05

revised

2010-05-16

accepted

2010-11-27

(unknown)

2010-12-06

Contributors

author

Elrashid M Eltahir

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

author

Gehad ElGhazali

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

author

Thoraya M E A-Elgadir

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

author

Ishraga E A-Elbasit

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

author

Mustafa I Elbashir

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

author

Hayder A Giha

• Malaria Research Centre (MalRC) - Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

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