Pro-Inflammatory Property of Plasmodium Hemozoin: A Signaling Point of View

摘要

Host hemoglobin is digested by Plasmodium as its nutrient source, releasing the monomer heme that is very toxic for the parasite. Therefore, heme is sequestered as a crystalline dark-brown pigment called hemozoin (HZ), which is formed by heme dimers that interact through hydrogen bonds. The detection of HZ inside erythrocytes and leukocytes has been used in malaria diagnosis and prognosis. Its synthesis is analog to a process of "biocrystallization" and appears to be the target of potent antimalarial drugs. Even though HZ was considered as a non-toxic metabolic byproduct, different lines of evidence, including its rapid phagocytosis and accumulation inside organs, as well as its ability to modulate macrophage signaling and functions, suggest that HZ might contribute to malaria immunopathology.