Severe anemia is one of the most lethal complications of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Red blood cells (RBCs) from children with severe malarial anemia are deficient in complement regulatory proteins (CR1 and CD55). A case-control, age- and sex-matched study was carried out to determine whether these deficiencies are acquired or inherited and the relative contribution of these complement regulatory protein deficiencies, the immune complex level, and the parasite density to the development of severe malarial anemia. RBC CR1 and CD55 deficiencies resolved after treatment, suggesting that these changes were acquired. Using conditional logistic regression, a decline in CD55 (or CR1) (odds ratio [OR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-8.1; P<.001) and an increase in immune complex level (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.5-4.8; P=.001) were significantly associated with severe malarial anemia.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria causes 1-2 million deaths per year. Most deaths occur as a result of complications such as severe anemia and cerebral malaria (CM) (coma). Red cells of children with severe malaria-associated anemia (SMA) have acquired deficiencies in the complement regulatory proteins complement receptor 1 (CR1, CD35) and decay accelerating factor (DAF, CD55). We investigated whether these deficiencies affect the ability of erythrocytes to bind immune complexes (ICs) and regulate complement activation. We recruited 75 children with SMA (Hb ≤ 6 g/dL) from the holoendemic malaria region of the Lake Victoria basin, western Kenya, and 74 age-and gender-matched uncomplicated malaria controls. In addition, we recruited 32 children with CM and 52 age-and gender-matched controls. Deficiencies in red cell CR1 and CD55 in children with SMA were accompanied by a marked decline in IC binding capacity and increased C3b deposition in vivo and ex vivo. Importantly, these changes were specific because they were not seen in red cells of children with CM or their controls. These data suggest that the declines in red cell CR1 and CD55 seen in children with SMA are of physiologic significance and may predispose erythrocytes to complement-mediated damage and phagocytosis in vivo. Online address: http://www.molmed.org doi: 10.2119/2007-00093. Owuor result of IC formation and complement activation that occur during malaria infection (12)(13)(14)(15).We have shown that red cells of children with SMA have decreased levels of CR1 and CD55 (14,16,17). We hypothesized that these changes could translate into a decreased functional capacity to bind ICs and prevent complement deposition, which could result in their increased rate of destruction. To test our hypothesis we carried out a case-control study in children with SMA and age and gender-matched symptomatic uncomplicated malaria controls and determined their levels of erythrocyte CR1 and CD55, their erythrocyte IC binding capacity, and the susceptibility of their red cells to complement deposition in vivo and ex vivo. As an additional comparison group, we recruited children with cerebral malaria (CM) and age-and gender-matched symptomatic uncomplicated malaria controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design and PopulationsParticipants were recruited under a human use protocol approved by the Human Use Research Committee, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and the National Ethics Review Committee of the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Informed consent was obtained from all parents or guardians. The study had a matched case-control design. SMA cases, defined as children with asexual P. falciparum parasitemia by Giemsastained thick and thin blood smear and Hb ≤ 6 g/dL, were recruited from the pediatric ward of the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital (NPGH), Kisumu, Kenya, where malaria is holoendemic. Because CM is uncommon in this area, CM cases were recruited from the pediatric ward of the Kisii District Hospital (KDH), as well as from the NPGH. KDH is located in t...