Circulating tumour necrosis factor α is not involved in the development of cerebral malaria in Plasmodium berghei-infected C57Bl mice

Abstract

Administration of neutralizing anti-TNFα antibodies did not prevent Plasmodium berghei induced cerebral malaria (CM) in C57l/6 mice, when given at different dosages and time intervals. Elevated concentrations of immunoreactive TNFα were found in the circulation but no bioactive TNFα could be detected in mice developing CM. Furthermore, elevated TNFα receptor concentrations were measured in the plasma of mice developing CM. Plasma of these mice neutralized bioactive recombinant-mouse TNFα indicating that a part of the plasma TNF-α-receptors were not complexed with TNFα. The apparent absence of free TNFα probably explains why treatment with antibodies against TNFα failed to prevent development of CM.