The Robust and Modulated Biomarker Network Elicited by the Plasmodium vivax Infection Is Mainly Mediated by the IL-6/IL-10 Axis and Is Associated with the Parasite Load

Figure 3

Overall signature of high biomarker producers triggered by P. vivax infection. (a) Representative scheme for global median cut-off calculation, using serum TNF-𝛼 levels as an example to categorize the individuals as those presenting “low” (white boxes) or “high” (black boxes) biomarker levels. Gray-scale diagrams were used to compute the frequency of individuals with high biomarker levels into healthy donors—HD group (b), and P. vivax-infected patients—MAL group (c). Bars graphs represent the proportions of individuals with high biomarker levels of HD and MAL groups (d and e, resp.). The HD ascendant biomarker profile was converted in a reference line overlaid for comparative analysis with MAL. Relevant differences were considered when the frequency of individuals with high biomarker levels in the MAL groups shifted to a distinct 50th percentile side (dotted line).