Abstract

Problem: Protozoan infections represent a serious public health problem requiring novel approaches from the basic science perspective. Sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P), is an important component of plasma membrane and, in protozoan infections, a role in infection persistence has been noted. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about sphingolipids (SL), specifically S1P, and their involvement in protozoan infections such as malaria. Methodology: A non-systematic review in the databases Pubmed, Embase, Free Medical Journals, and Lilacs databases was performed using the following keywords: sphingosine 1 phosphate, malaria, protozoa infections, sphingolipids, S1P receptor (S1PR), immunity, receptors, signaling. The search was limited to articles published between January 1995 and December 2014. Selection of articles to be included was based on relevance to the field of interest, regardless of the language. Results: The number of articles retrieved and those which fulfilled the inclusion criteria were, respectively, 4455 and 143. Conclusions: The role of sphingolipids in protozoan infections is poorly understood, especially in plasmodial infection. S1P might act as immune modulator. SL might be promoters of cell invasion and pathology. They also exhibit potential as antimalarials and biomarkers of infection.

Keywords: Sphingosine 1 phosphate; Malaria; Protozoan infections; Sphingolipids; S1P receptor; Immunity; Signaling.