Frequency of cytokine-producing T cells in patients of different age groups with Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
The frequency of cytokine-producing T cells was assessed in patients of different age groups (29 infants, aged 1-5 years; 30 schoolchildren, aged 6-14 years; 26 adults, aged >15 years) with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria from Gabon. By using flow cytometry for the intracellular detection of cytokines, a striking expansion was seen, in adults compared with children, of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with the following profiles of type 1 cytokine production: interleukin (IL)-2-/interferon (IFN)-gamma+, IL-2+/IFN-gamma+, and IL-2+/IFN-gamma-. Patients with hyperparasitemia had a significantly lower frequency of IL-2-/IFN-gamma+ CD4+ cells. Type 2 cytokine expression (IL-4+/IFN-gamma-, IL-13+/IFN-gamma-) and type 0 cytokine expression (IL-4+/IFN-gamma+, IL-13+/IFN-gamma+) were also increased in adults within the CD4+ subset. Frequencies of IL-5+/IL-4+, IL-10+/IFN-gamma-, and IL-10+/IFN-gamma+ cells were similar in all groups. The increased frequency of both type 1 and type 2 cytokine-producing T cells in adults is likely to be of significance in the protection against P. falciparum malaria.
Winkler
S
S
Department of Internal Medicine I, Divison of Infectious Diseases, University of Vienna, Austria. stefan.winkler@akh-wien.ac.at
Willheim
M
M
Baier
K
K
Schmid
D
D
Aichelburg
A
A
Graninger
W
W
Kremsner
P G
PG
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma