Cell-mediated immunity to Plasmodium falciparum infection: evidence against the involvement of cytotoxic lymphocytes

T G Theander, B J Andersen, B K Pedersen, S Jepsen, I C Bygbjerg, L Hviid, P B Larsen, A Kharazmi

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    Abstract

    Blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) recognizing soluble malaria antigens (SPag) are present in the peripheral blood of individuals clinically immune to malaria, and they proliferate after exposure to such antigens. To test whether these cells have effector activity against Plasmodium falciparum, we stimulated PBMC from malaria-immune donors by SPag and purified protein derivative (PPD) in culture for 7 days. The PBMC were then co-incubated with P. falciparum for 48 h, and parasitaemia was determined by microscopy. Parasite growth was only significantly impaired after incubation with PBMC stimulated by either SPag or PPD in the presence of immune serum. Studies on subpopulations of PBMC indicated that the inhibitory cells resided among the adherent cell fraction. Furthermore we tested PBMC for cytotoxic activity against P. falciparum-infected autologous or heterologous erythrocytes. Experiments were done both in the absence and the presence of immune serum. Neither fresh PBMC nor PBMC activated by SPag or PPD for 7 days prior to assay were cytotoxic, indicating that cytotoxic T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and K cells did not possess cytotoxic activity directed against parasitized erythrocytes. These data support the hypothesis that activated monocytes are the most important effector cells in the peripheral blood of malaria immune individuals.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalScandinavian Journal of Immunology
    Volume28
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)105-11
    Number of pages6
    ISSN0300-9475
    Publication statusPublished - 1988

    Bibliographical note

    Keywords: Animals; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Erythrocytes; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Malaria; Parasitology; Plasmodium falciparum; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

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