TEK and malaria: However, during the initial processes that lead to pathology in malaria, Ang-1 and Ang-2 might play a role as (1) Ang-1 and Ang-2 levels strongly correlate with disease severity and mortality [15]; (2) in sepsis, which shares many similarities with severe malaria [15, 18, 23], interfering in the angiopoietin-Tie-2 system, had a huge effect on the inflammatory response, vascular leakage and survival [24]; and, (3) Ang-2 can be released rapidly upon activation of endothelial cells as it is pre-stored in WPBs [21].