In all patients with malaria, total cortisol levels correlated with parasitemia (Spearman r = 0.41, p = 0.004), glucagon (Spearman r = 0.30, p = 0.038) and lactate levels (Spearman r = 0.3140, p = 0.0316), suggesting a link between cortisol responses and other malaria-associated disturbances. The gene discussed is GCG; the disease is malaria.