FIGURE 1.

Global impact of Plasmodium berghei infection. The global impact of malaria infection on blood parameters was measured (A), including blood parasitemia as measured by examination of blood smears, hemoglobin levels and hematocrit using a hematology analyzer (top panel), as well as total cells, total Ter119⁺ cells and percentage Ter119⁺ cells in the bone marrow and spleen (middle and bottom panels, respectively), by FACS analysis. Plotted are results from individual mice as well as mean ± SD. An unpaired t-test was used to calculate statistical significance between two groups: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001. The FACS gating strategy for identifying Ter119⁺ cells and distinct stages of erythroid differentiation in the bone marrow and spleen described is outlined (B). Cells were gated on size and granularity based on forward and side scatter to avoid debris. After selection of singlets, 7-AAD-negative live cells and Ter119 (PE-positive) erythroid cells, distinct stages of erythroid differentiation were identified and quantified, using CD44 expression and cell size. Shown is example of cells isolated from the bone marrow of uninfected Balb/c mice. Pro, proerythroblasts; Baso, basophilic erythroblasts; Poly, polychromatic erythroblasts; Ortho, orthochromatic erythroblasts; Retics, reticulocytes; RBC, red blood cells. Other populations outside the areas gated remain undefined (Chen et al., 2009).