| 1. |
- Costa, Giulia, et al.
(author)
-
Control of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic cycle : gamma-delta T cells target the red blood cell-invasive merozoites
- 2011
-
In: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 118:26, s. 6952--6962
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The control of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic parasite density is essential for protection against malaria, as it prevents pathogenesis and progression towards severe disease. P.falciparum blood-stage parasite cultures are inhibited by human Vγ9Vδ2 gamma-delta T cells, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we show that both intra-erythrocytic parasites and the extracellular red blood cell-invasive merozoites specifically activate Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in a γδ T cell receptor dependent manner and trigger their degranulation. In contrast, the γδ T cell-mediated anti-parasitic activity only targets the extracellular merozoites. Using perforin-deficient and granulysin-silenced T cell lines, we demonstrate that granulysin is essential for the in vitro anti-plasmodial process, whereas perforin is dispensable. Patients infected with P.falciparum exhibited elevated granulysin plasma levels associated with high levels of granulysin-expressing Vδ2(+) T cells endowed with parasite-specific degranulation capacity. This indicates in vivo activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells along with granulysin triggering and discharge during primary acute falciparum malaria. Altogether, this work identifies Vγ9Vδ2 T cells as unconventional immune effectors targeting the red blood cell-invasive extracellular P.falciparum merozoites and opens novel perspectives for immune interventions harnessing the anti-parasitic activity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to control parasite density in malaria patients.
|
|
| 2. |
- Guenot, Marianne, et al.
(author)
-
Phosphoantigen Burst upon Plasmodium falciparum Schizont Rupture Can Distantly Activate V gamma 9V delta 2 T Cells
- 2015
-
In: Infection and Immunity. - 0019-9567 .- 1098-5522. ; 83:10, s. 3816-3824
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Malaria induces potent activation and expansion of the V gamma 9V delta 2 subpopulation of gamma delta T cells, which inhibit the Plasmodium falciparum blood cycle through soluble cytotoxic mediators, abrogating merozoite invasion capacity. Intraerythrocytic stages efficiently trigger V gamma 9V delta 2 T-cell activation and degranulation through poorly understood mechanisms. P. falciparum blood-stage extracts are known to contain phosphoantigens able to stimulate V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells, but how these are presented by intact infected red blood cells (iRBCs) remains elusive. Here we show that, unlike activation by phosphoantigen-expressing cells, V gamma 9V delta 2 T-cell activation by intact iRBCs is independent of butyrophilin expression by the iRBC, and contact with an intact iRBC is not required. Moreover, blood-stage culture supernatants proved to be as potent activators of V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells as iRBCs. Bioactivity in the microenvironment is attributable to phosphoantigens, as it is dependent on the parasite DOXP pathway, on V gamma 9V delta 2 TCR signaling, and on butyrophilin expression by V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells. Kinetic studies showed that the phosphoantigens were released at the end of the intraerythrocytic cycle at the time of parasite egress. We document exquisite sensitivity of V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells, which respond to a few thousand parasites. These data unravel a novel framework, whereby release of phosphoantigens into the extracellular milieu by sequestered parasites likely promotes activation of distant V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells that in turn exert remote antiparasitic functions.
|
|
| 3. |
- Howard, Jennifer, et al.
(author)
-
The Antigen-Presenting Potential of V gamma 9V delta 2 T Cells During Plasmodium falciparum Blood-Stage Infection
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0022-1899 .- 1537-6613. ; 215:10, s. 1569-1579
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During Plasmodium falciparum infections, erythrocyte-stage parasites inhibit dendritic cell maturation and function, compromising effective antimalarial adaptive immunity. Human V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells can act in vitro as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and induce alpha beta T-cell activation. However, the relevance of this activity in vivo has remained elusive. Because V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells are activated during the early immune response against P. falciparum infection, we investigated whether they could contribute to the instruction of adaptive immune responses toward malaria parasites. In P. falciparum-infected patients, V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells presented increased surface expression of APC-associated markers HLA-DR and CD86. In response to infected red blood cells in vitro, V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells upregulated surface expression of HLA-DR, HLA-ABC, CD40, CD80, CD83, and CD86, induced naive alpha beta T-cell responses, and cross-presented soluble prototypical protein to antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells. Our findings qualify V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells as alternative APCs, which could be harnessed for therapeutic interventions and vaccine design.
|
|
| 4. |
- Jallow, Muminatou, et al.
(author)
-
Genome-wide and fine-resolution association analysis of malaria in West Africa.
- 2009
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; , s. 657-665
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a genome-wide association (GWA) study of severe malaria in The Gambia. The initial GWA scan included 2,500 children genotyped on the Affymetrix 500K GeneChip, and a replication study included 3,400 children. We used this to examine the performance of GWA methods in Africa. We found considerable population stratification, and also that signals of association at known malaria resistance loci were greatly attenuated owing to weak linkage disequilibrium (LD). To investigate possible solutions to the problem of low LD, we focused on the HbS locus, sequencing this region of the genome in 62 Gambian individuals and then using these data to conduct multipoint imputation in the GWA samples. This increased the signal of association, from P = 4 x 10(-7) to P = 4 x 10(-14), with the peak of the signal located precisely at the HbS causal variant. Our findings provide proof of principle that fine-resolution multipoint imputation, based on population-specific sequencing data, can substantially boost authentic GWA signals and enable fine mapping of causal variants in African populations.
|
|
| 5. |
- Shelton, Jennifer M. G., et al.
(author)
-
Genetic determinants of anti-malarial acquired immunity in a large multi-centre study
- 2015
-
In: Malaria Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-2875. ; 14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Many studies report associations between human genetic factors and immunity to malaria but few have been reliably replicated. These studies are usually country-specific, use small sample sizes and are not directly comparable due to differences in methodologies. This study brings together samples and data collected from multiple sites across Africa and Asia to use standardized methods to look for consistent genetic effects on anti-malarial antibody levels. Methods: Sera, DNA samples and clinical data were collected from 13,299 individuals from ten sites in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka using standardized methods. DNA was extracted and typed for 202 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with known associations to malaria or antibody production, and antibody levels to four clinical grade malarial antigens [AMA1, MSP1, MSP2, and (NANP) 4] plus total IgE were measured by ELISA techniques. Regression models were used to investigate the associations of clinical and genetic factors with antibody levels. Results: Malaria infection increased levels of antibodies to malaria antigens and, as expected, stable predictors of anti-malarial antibody levels included age, seasonality, location, and ethnicity. Correlations between antibodies to blood-stage antigens AMA1, MSP1 and MSP2 were higher between themselves than with antibodies to the (NANP)(4) epitope of the pre-erythrocytic circumsporozoite protein, while there was little or no correlation with total IgE levels. Individuals with sickle cell trait had significantly lower antibody levels to all blood-stage antigens, and recessive homozygotes for CD36 (rs321198) had significantly lower anti-malarial antibody levels to MSP2. Conclusion: Although the most significant finding with a consistent effect across sites was for sickle cell trait, its effect is likely to be via reducing a microscopically positive parasitaemia rather than directly on antibody levels. However, this study does demonstrate a framework for the feasibility of combining data from sites with heterogeneous malaria transmission levels across Africa and Asia with which to explore genetic effects on anti-malarial immunity.
|
|
