In contrast to neopterin, neither the expression of the other cytokines tested, including IL-2, IL-6, IL-7 and TNF-α, nor their activities increased during malaria infection under ART (i.e., there were no differences between the two groups; Additional file 2: Figure S2A), indicating that ART potentially alters the interaction of SIV and the malaria parasite in vivo. Here, TNF is linked to malaria.