title: Functional memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells are generated after a single Plasmodium chabaudi infection in mice.
abstract: Antibodies have long been shown to play a critical role in naturally acquired immunity to malaria, but it has been suggested that Plasmodium-specific antibodies in humans may not be long lived. The cellular mechanisms underlying B cell and antibody responses are difficult to study in human infections; therefore, we have investigated the kinetics, duration and characteristics of the Plasmodium-specific memory B cell response in an infection of P. chabaudi in mice. Memory B cells and plasma cells specific for the C-terminal region of Merozoite Surface Protein 1 were detectable for more than eight months following primary infection. Furthermore, a classical memory response comprised predominantly of the T-cell dependent isotypes IgG2c, IgG2b and IgG1 was elicited upon rechallenge with the homologous parasite, confirming the generation of functional memory B cells. Using cyclophosphamide treatment to discriminate between long-lived and short-lived plasma cells, we demonstrated long-lived cells secreting Plasmodium-specific IgG in both bone marrow and in spleens of infected mice. The presence of these long-lived cells was independent of the presence of chronic infection, as removal of parasites with anti-malarial drugs had no impact on their numbers. Thus, in this model of malaria, both functional Plasmodium-specific memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells can be generated, suggesting that defects in generating these cell populations may not be the reason for generating short-lived antibody responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Francis Maina
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ndungu
authors.forename: Emma Tamsin
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Cadman
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coulcher
authors.forename: Eunice
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nduati
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Couper
authors.forename: Douglas William
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langhorne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1