Plasma Levels of TNF-αl and IL-10 in Plasmodium falciparum co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

NTFα is a proinflammatory cytokine which acts to worsen disease while IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which acts to improve healing.  Plasmodium falciparum co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis could generate both innate and acquired immunity involving inflammatory  responses. This work was designed to determine plasma level of TNF-Alpha and IL-10 in plasmodium co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The test subjects recruited for this study were M. tuberculosis mono-infected patients (30), Plasmodium falciparum mono-infected patients (50) and M. tuberculosis and plasmodium coinfected patients (30) aged 32-73years. M. tuberculosis and plasmodium non-infected subjects (50) were studied as control. All subjects were seronegative to HIV, HCV and HBsAg. TNF-Alpha, IL-10, HIV, HCV and HBsAg were determined in each of the subjects by immunochemical technique using ELISA method. M. tuberculosis was  identify in each of the subjects by fluorescence microscopy and sputum culture on Lowenstein–Jensen medium while identification of plasmodium was carried out using thick and thin film technique using Geimsha and leishman staining. The result obtained showed a significantly higher plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-10 in patients who were co-infected with both plasmodium and M. tuberculosis compared with Plasmodium falciparum mono—infected, M. tuberculosis mono-infected patients and also compared with the control subjects (p<0.05). This work reveals a significant increase in plasma value of TNF-alpha and IL-10 in M. tuberculosis and plasmodium co-infections compared with either plasmodium or M.tuberculosis  mono-infections. Routine laboratory evaluation of these parameters in M. tuberculosis and plasmodium co-infection will provide useful direction for the management of the disease condition. Keywords: , NTFα IL-10, plasmodium co-infection, Mycobacterium  tuberculosis