This observation implies that low production of IFN-γ during clinical malaria episodes may negatively affect the infant's ability to clear the malaria parasites through the cytokine responses and indicates a possible disruption of the biological roles of IFN-γ, including but not limited to activation of macrophages for phagocytosis and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) molecule expression, which are important in antimalarial immunity [30]. Here, IFNG is linked to malaria.