Figure 2.

Plasma mEV levels are significantly higher, at low parasitaemia levels, in infected young Ghanain children and the elderly.

(a), Scatter plot of number of mEVs and age of associated falciparum malaria infected patients (n = 141), (for patients with parasitaemia levels of 51–500 parasites µL⁻¹). The data covering the age range 0.5–70 years was best fit by a parabola (graph of quadratic equation, showing 95% confidence interval (CI) band; coefficient a > 0, opening upwards) but with no relationship between overall age and mEV levels for infected patients. (b) Correlation analysis of plasma mEV levels and age, for age groups 0.5–25 yo (r = −0.587) and (c) 26–70 yo (r = 0.668). In (d), the same data for plasma mEV levels ±CI from infected patients (n = 141) (all with parasitaemia levels of 51–500 parasites µL⁻¹) is presented, but now also including plasma mEV levels from uninfected donors (n = 133) for ≤11 yo, 12–25 yo, 26–44 yo and ≥45 yo, as box and whiskers plots, with the median mEV levels (showing 95% CI) and mean represented by a “+”. Within each age group, mEV levels are compared between infected and uninfected, p < 0.0001 (****).