During acute illness (Fig. 1H), IL-8 levels were higher in all malaria types (medians, 8.47 pg/ml for UCM, P = 0.031; 13.03 pg/ml for SMA, P = 0.002; and 29.71 pg/ml for CM, P < 0.001) than in controls (median, 6.55 pg/ml). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and malaria.