Evidence of endothelial inflammation, T cell activation, and T cell reallocation in uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

• To explain the observation that acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria is associated with a transient inability of peripheral blood cells to respond to antigenic stimulation in vitro, we have postulated the disease-induced reallocation of peripheral lymphocytes, possibly by adhesion to inflamed endothelium. We measured plasma levels of soluble markers of endothelial inflammation and T cell activation in 32 patients suffering from acute, uncomplication P. falciparum malaria, as well as in 10 healthy, aparasitemic control donors. All donors were residents of a malaria-endemic area of Eastern State Sudan. In addition, we measured the T cell surface expression of the interleukin-2 receptor (CD25) and the lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18). We found that the plasma levels of all inflammation and activation markers were significantly increased in the malaria patients compared with the control donors. In addition, we found a disease-induced depletion of T cells with high expression of the LFA-1 antigen, particularly in the CD4+ subset. The results obtained provide further support for the hypothesis of T cell reallocation to inflamed endothelium in acute P. falciparum malaria.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Infektionsmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Infectious Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adolescent

Adult

Animals

Cell Adhesion

Cell Adhesion Molecules/blood

Confidence Intervals

Cross-Sectional Studies

E-Selectin

Endothelium, Vascular/pathology

Female

Humans

Immunophenotyping

Inflammation

Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1/blood

Lymphocyte Activation

Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1/blood

Malaria, Falciparum/immunology

Male

Middle Aged

T-Lymphocytes/immunology

Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)