Plasmodium Falciparum: Erythropoietin Levels in Malaric Subjects

Erythropoietin (Epo) serum levels were evaluated by an ELISA method in 52 malaric patients (26 males and 26 females, age range 1–37 years). Of these, 23 were under 14 years old (17 males, 6 females). The good inverse correlation between Epo levels and haemoglobin (Hb) observed in most cases demonstrated that anaemia associated with falciparum malaria is an effective stimulus for Epo production. In many subjects, however, particularly children and pregnant women with Hb levels of less than 8 g/dl, renal Epo production may be inappropriately low for the degree of anaemia present.