Human cytokine responses to meso-endemic malaria on the Pacific Coast of Colombia.
Studies of naturally-acquired immunity to malaria in endemic regions provide the potential for a greater understanding of the regulation of human immune responses to the malarial parasite. However, little is known about the acquisition of malaria-specific immunity in regions of unstable, meso-endemic or hypo-endemic transmission. Cytokine profiles - patterns in the expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10, interleukin-12, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) - were therefore studied during the natural acquisition of immunity to Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax among individuals from Buenaventura, a meso-endemic region on the Pacific Coast of Colombia. In general, specific type-1 immune responses, characterized by IFN-gamma expression, were more likely to develop during P. falciparum infection, whereas pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles (with TNF-alpha expression) were observed more frequently among the P. vivax infections. Type-2 cytokine profiles, characterized by dominant IL-4 expression, were infrequent. Expression of IL-4 probably occurs primarily after prolonged exposure to parasites (which would, by definition, not be common in a meso-endemic region).
Praba-Egge
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AD
Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2210, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Montenegro
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S
Arevalo-Herrera
M
M
Hopper
T
T
Herrera
S
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James
M A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma