Background: In the last few years, the study of microparticles (MPs) - submicron vesicles released from cells upon activation or apoptosis - has gained growing interest in the field of inflammation and in infectious diseases. Their role in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax remains unexplored. Because acute vivax malaria has been related to pro-inflammatory responses, the main hypothesis investigated in this study was that Plasmodium vivax infection is associated with elevated levels of circulating MPs, which may play a role during acute disease in non-immune patients. Methods: Plasma MPs were analysed among thirty-seven uncomplicated P. vivax infections from an area of unstable malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon. The MP phenotype was analysed by flow cytometry using the classical MP marker, annexin, and fluorochrome-labeled monoclonal antibodies against specific cell surface markers. The frequencies of plasma MPs in P. vivax patients (n = 37) were further compared to malaria-unexposed controls (n = 15) and ovarian carcinoma patients (n = 12), a known MPs-inducing disease non-related to malaria. Results: The frequencies of plasma circulating MPs were markedly increased in P. vivax patients, as compared to healthy age-matched malaria-unexposed controls. Although platelets, erythrocytes and leukocytes were the main cellular sources of MPs during vivax malaria, platelet derived-MPs (PMPs) increased in a linear fashion with the presence of fever at the time of blood collection (β = 0.06, p < 0.0001) and length of acute symptoms (β = 0.36, p < 0.0001). Finally, the results suggest that plasma levels of PMPs diminish as patient experience more episodes of clinical malaria (β = 0.07, p < 0.003). Conclusions: Abundant circulating MPs are present during acute P. vivax infection, and platelet derived-MPs may play a role on the acute inflammatory symptoms of malaria vivax.

Up to 30% of women of reproductive age experience HMB, which has a substantial impact on their quality of life. A clinical care pathway for women with HMB is an unmet need, but its development requ... 目的:多达30%的育龄女性经历过HMB, 这对她们的生活质量有很大影响。女性HMB的临床路径尚未满足需求, 它的发展需要更好地理解当前疾病诊断和管理的特征因素。材料和方法：这项观察性、基于调查的研究使用了详细的半结构化在线问卷, 评估了加拿大、美国、巴西、法国和俄罗斯的HMB女性负担、个人经历和临床管理路径。在排除了那些报告相关器质性病变的受试者之后, 对每个国家200名女性的答卷进行分析。...