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Cytokine profile of Plasmodium falciparum ‐specific T cells in non‐immune malaria patients
Author(s) -
Ramharter Michael,
Willheim Martin,
Winkler Heidi,
Wahl Katharina,
Lagler Heimo,
Graninger Wolfgang,
Winkler Stefan
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3024.2003.00628.x
Subject(s) - plasmodium falciparum , biology , malaria , immunology , immune system , cerebral malaria , cytokine , interferon gamma , tumor necrosis factor alpha , interleukin 2
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‐γ), tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) 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‐γ, and TNF‐α, 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‐γ and TNF‐α.