In patients with vivax malaria there was a trend towards higher median plasma syndecan-1 in males compared to females (158 [IQR 118–229] vs. 109 [77–181] ng/ml, p = 0.068), and lower S-1-P (1.82 [IQR 1.24–2.64] vs. 3.2 [IQR 1.44–3.85] μM, p = 0.07). Here, SDC1 is linked to Plasmodium vivax malaria.