V beta profiles in African children with acute cerebral or uncomplicated malaria: very focused changes among a remarkable global stability.
T cells are thought to play a critical role in cerebral malaria pathogenesis. However, available evidences are restricted to rodent models in which V beta specific T cell expansion has been associated with neurological syndrome suggesting involvement of superantigens or dominant antigens. Using flow cytometry, we studied the peripheral V beta T cell repertoire of Ghanaian children with cerebral malaria, uncomplicated malaria and asymptomatic control children, to look for either expansion or deletion of specific V beta associated with cerebral malaria. At admission, the general pattern of the repertoire of the patients was very similar, with no major distortion compared to the control group a part a significant increase of the frequency of the V beta 21.3 subset correlating with disease severity and attributed to the CD4 subset. During convalescence very limited fluctuations were observed including a significant decrease of the V beta 21.3 subset and increase of the V beta 20 subset, a subset not detected at admission. The remarkable stability of the V beta repertoire observed in acute malaria either cerebral or uncomplicated argues against the idea that cerebral malaria would result from a T cell-mediated inflammatory shock syndrome driven by some dominant super-antigenic activity(ies). The significance of the reproducible increase of the CD4+V beta 21.3T cell subset deserves further investigations.
Loizon
Séverine
S
Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, CNRS URA 2581, Département de Parasitologie, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France.
Boeuf
Philippe
P
Tetteh
John K A
JK
Goka
Bamenla
B
Obeng-Adjei
George
G
Kurtzhals
Jørgen A L
JA
Rogier
Christophe
C
Akanmori
Bartholomew D
BD
Mercereau-Puijalon
Odile
O
Hviid
Lars
L
Behr
Charlotte
C
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell