A group of integrins (ITGA2B, ITGB3, and ITGB5), proteosome‐encoding genes (PSMA4, PSMB5, PSMC2, PSMD1), and cytoskeleton regulators (KIF23, KIF2C, KIF18A) involved in antigen presentation, along with various genes encoding protein products involved in immune defense to microorganisms (LCN2, PRDX1, SUCNR1, BATF2, ALPK1, and IDO2), were upregulated in response to symptomatic malaria but underrepresented in asymptomatic malaria carriers, suggesting that persistent asymptomatic infection may have a suppressive effect in the induction of those responses (Fig 6D–F). Here, ITGA2B is linked to malaria.