IL10 and malaria: A plausible mechanism of how co-infection enhances the protection conferred by asymptomatic P. falciparum carriage against febrile malaria is suggested by prior studies which demonstrated increased production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in co-infected individuals relative to individuals infected with only P. falciparum by either analysis of circulating plasma cytokines [34] or after in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with P. falciparum schizont extract [35].