Coagulation disorders in experimentally induced acute mouse malaria.

The development of coagulation disorders was studied in murine malaria. Plasmodium vinckei was chosen following an initial experiment because onset and duration of parasitemia were more suitable for hemostasiological studies than in the short-lasting infection, caused by P. berghei. Evaluation of the time courses of hematocrit, platelets, antithrombin (AT) III activity, Factor V activity and parasitemia showed a significant decrease in platelets, hematocrit, Factor V and AT III activity during the course of infection. The obtained data strongly suggest the development of a disseminated intravascular coagulation in mice during the terminal phase of murine malaria.