Figure 1.

Schematic representation of the identification of the different components of the allergic cascade that are involved in the pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria. Using the well-established murine model of cerebral malaria whereby C57BL/6 mice were infected with PbANKA parasite strain which causes the disease and mortality within 6–10 days, each step of the IgE-mediated allergic cascade, including IgE, FcεRI, mast cells, basophils, histamine as one of the mediators released upon activation of these cells, and granulocytes such as neutrophils and eosinophils, was explored individually using either mutant mice (IgE^−/−, CD117^−/−, FcεRIα^−/−, HDC^−/−) or antibody-based depletion procedures (for basophils using the Ba103 mAb, for neutrophils using the NIMP-R14 mAb, and for eosinophils anti-Siglec-F Ab). Each component of this cascade tested gave rise to either a sensitive or resistant phenotype with regard to cerebral malaria.