Malaria-induced increase of splenic gamma delta T cells in humans, monkeys, and mice.
The number and distribution of gamma delta T cells in spleens from patients who died of cerebral malaria and from rhesus monkeys severely infected with Plasmodium coatneyi were examined by immunocytochemistry. gamma delta T cells were significantly increased in these spleens. In a rodent malaria model using Plasmodium chabaudi adami, an avirulent strain of murine malaria parasites, the degree of parasitemia appears to be modulated by the number of gamma delta T cells in the spleen. As parasitemia increases, these T cells increase in number. At some critical point, gamma delta T cells in collaboration with macrophages and alpha beta T cells apparently start to clear parasitized erythrocytes from the blood, leading to an abatement of the parasitemia, which is followed by a reduction in the number of gamma delta T cells. This gamma delta T cell phenomenon may be responsible for the self-limiting infection in mice.
Nakazawa
S
S
Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
Brown
A E
AE
Maeno
Y
Y
Smith
C D
CD
Aikawa
M
M
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta