UMMS Affiliation
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences; Department of Pediatrics
Date
11-21-2008
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Animals; Antigens, CD19; Antigens, CD38; B-Lymphocytes; Case-Control Studies; Child, Preschool; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunoglobulin D; Immunologic Memory; Lymphocyte Subsets; Malaria, Falciparum; Neprilysin; Plasmodium falciparum
Disciplines
Biostatistics | Epidemiology | Health Services Research | Immunology and Infectious Disease | Pediatrics
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The effects of Plasmodium falciparum on B-cell homeostasis have not been well characterized. This study investigated whether an episode of acute malaria in young children results in changes in the peripheral B cell phenotype.
METHODS: Using flow-cytofluorimetric analysis, the B cell phenotypes found in the peripheral blood of children aged 2-5 years were characterized during an episode of acute uncomplicated clinical malaria and four weeks post-recovery and in healthy age-matched controls.
RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in CD19+ B lymphocytes during acute malaria. Characterization of the CD19+ B cell subsets in the peripheral blood based on expression of IgD and CD38 revealed a significant decrease in the numbers of naive 1 CD38-IgD+ B cells while there was an increase in CD38+IgD- memory 3 B cells during acute malaria. Further analysis of the peripheral B cell phenotype also identified an expansion of transitional CD10+CD19+ B cells in children following an episode of acute malaria with up to 25% of total CD19+ B cell pool residing in this subset.
CONCLUSION: Children experiencing an episode of acute uncomplicated clinical malaria experienced profound disturbances in B cell homeostasis.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Malar J. 2008 Nov 18;7:238. Link to article on publisher's site
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Biostatistics Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons, Pediatrics Commons
