Platelets, which act as first responders to infection, secrete platelet factor 4 (which lyses the parasitic vacuole), and present antigens in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, have also been shown to exhibit clear differences in counts between patients with complicated malaria (greater thrombocytopenia) and those with uncomplicated malaria (7). Here, PF4 is linked to malaria.