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Postels DG, Li C, Birbeck GL, Taylor TE, Seydel KB, Kampondeni SD, Glover SJ, Potchen MJ. Brain MRI of children with retinopathy-negative cerebral malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 91:943-9. [PMID: 25200262 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Our goals were to understand the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in children with retinopathy-negative cerebral malaria (CM) and investigate whether any findings on acute MRI were associated with adverse outcomes. We performed MRI scans on children admitted to the hospital in Blantyre, Malawi with clinically defined CM. Two hundred and seventeen children were imaged during the study period; 44 patients were malarial retinopathy-negative; and 173 patients were retinopathy-positive. We compared MRI findings in children with retinopathy-negative and retinopathy-positive CM. In children who were retinopathy-negative, we identified MRI variables that were associated with death and adverse neurologic outcomes. On multivariate analysis, cortical diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) abnormality and increased brain volume were strongly associated with neurologic morbidity in survivors. Investigations to explore the underlying pathophysiologic processes responsible for these MRI changes are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G Postels
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Chenxi Li
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Gretchen L Birbeck
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Terrie E Taylor
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Karl B Seydel
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Sam D Kampondeni
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Simon J Glover
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Michael J Potchen
- International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Radiology, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Department of Anatomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
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Abstract
Malaria, the most significant parasitic disease of man, kills approximately one million people per year. Half of these deaths occur in those with cerebral malaria (CM). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines CM as an otherwise unexplained coma in a patient with malarial parasitemia. Worldwide, CM occurs primarily in African children and Asian adults, with the vast majority (greater than 90%) of cases occurring in children 5 years old or younger in sub-Saharan Africa. The pathophysiology of the disease is complex and involves infected erythrocyte sequestration, cerebral inflammation, and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. A recently characterized malarial retinopathy is visual evidence of Plasmodium falciparum's pathophysiological processes occurring in the affected patient. Treatment consists of supportive care and antimalarial administration. Thus far, adjuvant therapies have not been shown to improve mortality rates or neurological outcomes in children with CM. For those who survive CM, residual neurological abnormalities are common. Epilepsy, cognitive impairment, behavioral disorders, and gross neurological deficits which include motor, sensory, and language impairments are frequent sequelae. Primary prevention strategies, including bed nets, vaccine development, and chemoprophylaxis, are in varied states of development and implementation. Continuing efforts to find successful primary prevention options and strategies to decrease neurological sequelae are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G Postels
- Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program (INPEP), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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Ma N, Madigan MC, Chan-Ling T, Hunt NH. Compromised blood-nerve barrier, astrogliosis, and myelin disruption in optic nerves during fatal murine cerebral malaria. Glia 1997; 19:135-51. [PMID: 9034830 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-1136(199702)19:2<135::aid-glia5>3.0.co;2-#] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We examined the optic nerve, as an analogous tissue to brain white matter, to assess possible relationships between changes in the blood-nerve barrier, axonal integrity, and astrocyte morphology in the central nervous system during fatal murine cerebral malaria (FMCM). In the FMCM model, namely, CBA mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, neurological symptoms begin around day 5 post-inoculation (p.i.) and mice become increasingly ill by day 7 p.i., at which time they lapse into coma and die. Using intravascular perfusion with horseradish peroxidase combined with light and electron microscopy, and GFAP immunohistochemistry, the optic nerves in malaria-infected mice were found to display i) breakdown of the blood-nerve barrier, detectable as early as day 3 p.i. (about 2 days before the onset of neurological symptoms) increasing to peak severity by day 7 p.i.; ii) monocytosis, vascular congestion, and monocyte adherence to the endothelium in the microvasculature during the later stages of the disease process; iii) an increased incidence of patchy axonal demyelination and degeneration, mostly associated with vascular changes and astrogliosis, beginning at day 5 p.i. and more evident by day 7 p.i.; and iv) an increased intensity of GFAP immunostaining, detectable from day 3 p.i. and peaking at day 7 p.i. These optic nerve changes were always seen in the infected individuals, though they varied in intensity. The temporal and anatomical coincidence between the compromised blood-nerve barrier, monocyte adherence to the vascular endothelium, astrocyte changes, neuronal degeneration, and demyelination in the optic nerve in FMCM suggests that these factors are mechanistically inter-related. These findings are consistent with the proposed immunopathological nature of FMCM and provide further evidence for the pivotal role of the CNS microvasculature in the disease process. This is the first investigation of involvement of the optic nerve in FMCM and the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of loss of axonal viability in this condition in any CNS tissue. The observed demyelination is consistent with reports by other workers on such changes in the brain in human cerebral malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ma
- Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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