Immunity to placental malaria. II. Placental antigen-specific cytokine responses are impaired in human immunodeficiency virus-infected women.
An association was demonstrated recently between elevated in vitro production of interferon (IFN)-gamma by intervillous blood mononuclear cells (IVBMCs) and protection against placental malaria (PM). Because human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women have increased susceptibility to PM, loss of the IFN-gamma response in these women may impair their ability to control PM. Measurement of cytokines in culture supernatants by ELISA revealed that IFN-gamma responses by HIV-positive IVBMCs were impaired, especially after malarial antigen stimulation. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 responses also were reduced in HIV-positive persons, the latter more so in HIV-positive, PM-positive persons. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor-alpha production generally was enhanced in PM-positive and HIV-positive persons. Overall, cytokine production was reduced in HIV-positive persons with CD4 T cell counts <500/microL, particularly in response to malarial antigen. Thus, HIV-mediated cytokine dysregulation and impairment of the protective IFN-gamma response may contribute to the increased susceptibility of HIV-positive pregnant women to malaria.
Moore
J M
JM
Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, and Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. julmoore@calc.vet. uga.edu.
Ayisi
J
J
Nahlen
B L
BL
Misore
A
A
Lal
A A
AA
Udhayakumar
V
V
D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology*; D011247:Pregnancy
D016207:Cytokines; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma