Cytokine profile of Plasmodium falciparum-specific T cells in non-immune malaria patients.

Abstract

CD3+ T cells are important sources of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We studied the frequency of interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-10 expressing CD3+ cells in 10 non-immune malaria patients with uncomplicated malaria and in one patient with cerebral malaria after P. falciparum-specific and non-specific mitogenic stimulation. Analysis by fluorescence-activated cell sorting was performed after drug-induced clearance of parasites to allow previously sequestered T cells to be detected in peripheral blood. CD3+ cells of patients responded to P. falciparum infected erythrocytes with significant increases in the percentage of IL-2, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha, but also IL-10, positive cells. CD3+ cells from malaria-naïve donors were also responsive to specific stimulation albeit to a much lesser extent. Mitogenic stimulation of PBMC revealed no significant differences between cells of patients and controls. CD3+ cells of the patient with cerebral malaria were hyporesponsive both to the infecting parasite isolate as well as to our laboratory-adapted P. falciparum isolate, whereas two patients with uncomplicated disease were more responsive to their infecting parasites than to the laboratory-adapted isolate. The results indicate that the increased responsiveness of in vivo primed compared to malaria-naïve CD3+ cells is Plasmodium-specific and biased towards production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha.

• Authors: Michael Ramharter, Martin Willheim, Heidi Winkler, Katharina Wahl, Heimo Lagler, Wolfgang Graninger, Stefan Winkler
• Journal: Parasite immunology (Parasite Immunol) Vol. 25 Issue 4 Pg. 211-9 (Apr 2003) ISSN: 0141-9838 [Print] England
• PMID: 12940964 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Protozoan
• CD3 Complex
• Cytokines
• Interleukin-2
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Interleukin-10
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Adult
• Animals
• Antigens, Protozoan (administration & dosage)
• CD3 Complex (metabolism)
• Case-Control Studies
• Cytokines (biosynthesis)
• Female
• Flow Cytometry
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Interferon-gamma (biosynthesis)
• Interleukin-10 (biosynthesis)
• Interleukin-2 (biosynthesis)
• Lymphocyte Activation
• Malaria, Cerebral (immunology)
• Malaria, Falciparum (immunology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Plasmodium falciparum (immunology)
• T-Lymphocyte Subsets (immunology)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (biosynthesis)