Evidence of endothelial inflammation, T cell activation, and T cell reallocation in uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
To explain the observation that acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria is associated with a transient inability of peripheral blood cells to respond to antigenic stimulation in vitro, we have postulated the disease-induced reallocation of peripheral lymphocytes, possibly by adhesion to inflamed endothelium. We measured plasma levels of soluble markers of endothelial inflammation and T cell activation in 32 patients suffering from acute, uncomplication P. falciparum malaria, as well as in 10 healthy, aparasitemic control donors. All donors were residents of a malaria-endemic area of Eastern State Sudan. In addition, we measured the T cell surface expression of the interleukin-2 receptor (CD25) and the lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18). We found that the plasma levels of all inflammation and activation markers were significantly increased in the malaria patients compared with the control donors. In addition, we found a disease-induced depletion of T cells with high expression of the LFA-1 antigen, particularly in the CD4+ subset. The results obtained provide further support for the hypothesis of T cell reallocation to inflamed endothelium in acute P. falciparum malaria.
Elhassan
I M
IM
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hviid
L
L
Satti
G
G
Akerstrom
B
B
Jakobsen
P H
PH
Jensen
J B
JB
Theander
T G
TG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019040:E-Selectin; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007249:Inflammation; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000097:blood; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1