Abstract. Rapid diagnosis and accurate quantification of Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia are important for the management of malaria. The assessment of disease severity also depends on evaluation of metabolic indexes such as blood glucose and lactate concentrations. Here we describe an accurate and rapid alternative to conventional thick film examination (Lambaréné method). We also assess near-patient methods for measuring blood glucose (OneTouch) and lactate (Accusport). The accuracy of the Lambaréné method is similar to that of thin films. Results from the OneTouch glucose meter also are in good agreement with a YSI 2300 reference meter. Overall, the Accusport lactate meter agrees poorly with the YSI 2300 reference meter. However, the sensitivity and specificity to detect hyperlactatemia (blood lactate Ն 5 mmol/L) are 0.94 and 0.98, respectively.

Background: Malaria continues to claim one to two million lives a year, mainly those of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Reduction in mortality depends, in part, on improving the quality of hospital care, the training of healthcare workers and improvements in public health. This study examined the prognostic indicators of severe falciparum malaria in Gabonese children.

No data are available in the literature to indicate whether low-level Plasmodium falciparum infections induce lipid parameter changes. We hypothesized that low-level P. falciparum infections induce significant changes in common lipid parameters. We retrospectively selected samples from a malaria prophylaxis study to measure the impact of sustained parasite clearance on common lipid parameters [total cholesterol (TChol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-c) and triglycerides (TG)] in 47 apparently healthy schoolchildren whose P. falciparum parasitemia was initially below 1000/ microl. After parasite clearance, mean values were significantly increased for Tchol ( P<0.001) and HDL-c ( P<0.001), unlike LDL-c ( P=0.93); and TG were significantly decreased from the baseline ( P=0.004). No significant change was found in a control group. This is the first study showing significant lipid changes related to low-level P. falciparum infections. Further studies are needed to explore the relevance of this finding at the population level in hyperendemic malaria areas.

Summary :The active compounds obtained from some medicinal plants used traditionally worldwide for the treatment of leishmaniasis are reviewed. Among these active molecules described in recent literature are quinoline alkaloids such as alkyl-2 quinoline and aryl-2 quinoline from Galipea longiflora, isoquinoline alkaloids such as isoguattouregidine from Guatteria foliosa, indole alkaloids such as conodurine and gabunine from Pescheiera van heurkii, terpenes such as jatrogrossidione from Jatropha grossidentata, acetogenins such as senegalene from Annona senegalensis and lignans such as (+)nyasol from Asparagus africanus. Other natural compounds with antileishmanial activity are coumarins, chalcones, lactones, tetralones and saponins. Some of them are known antiprotozoal natural products. These compounds could be used as templates to discover new and effective drugs against leishmaniasis.KEY WORDS : antileishmanial, leishmaniasis, natural products, alkaloids, terpenes, quinones, coumarins, chalcones, acetogenins, lactone, lignan. Résumé : DONNÉES RÉCENTES SUR LES COMPOSÉS ACTIFS DE PLANTES MÉDICINALES UTILISÉES DANS LE TRAITEMENT DE LA LEISHMANIOSE

We measured natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and cortisol and prolactin concentrations in peripheral venous blood samples obtained from pregnant Gabonese women at the time of delivery. The NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in vitro was lower in samples obtained from primiparous women than in samples obtained from multiparous women; cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in primiparous women than in multiparous women, and prolactin concentrations were significantly lower. The highest cortisol concentrations were found in the plasma of P. falciparum-infected primiparous women. A positive correlation was found between cortisol concentration and parasite load; an inverse correlation was found between the magnitude of the NK cell cytolytic effect and cortisol production. A positive correlation was found between this effect and prolactin production. Thus, depressed NK cell cytotoxicity against P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes is correlated with high cortisol concentrations and may contribute to increased susceptibility to malaria during pregnancy.