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Beltagi AE, Elsotouhy A, Al-warqi A, Aker L, Ahmed M. Imaging features of fulminant cerebral malaria: A case report. Radiol Case Rep 2023; 18:3642-3647. [PMID: 37593329 PMCID: PMC10432143 DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.06.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria is associated with high mortality and morbidity in patients infected with Plasmodium Falciparum. The mechanisms of cerebral malaria include sequestration of parasitized red blood cells in brain capillaries, production of cytokines, immune cell/platelet accumulation, and release of microparticles, resulting in disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which caused brain injuries. The severity of this reflects on neurological findings ranging from simple delirium to profound coma. We herein present unique magnetic resonance imaging findings of a case of fulminant cerebral malaria as computed tomography studies usually underestimate the extent of cerebral involvement in malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed El Beltagi
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroradiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), Clinical Imaging, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ahmed Elsotouhy
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroradiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), Clinical Imaging, Doha, Qatar
| | - Akram Al-warqi
- Department of Radiology, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Loai Aker
- Department of Radiology, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mayada Ahmed
- Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), Clinical Imaging, Doha, Qatar
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Vanka R, Nakka VP, Kumar SP, Baruah UK, Babu PP. Molecular targets in cerebral malaria for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Brain Res Bull 2020; 157:100-107. [PMID: 32006570 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is the severe neurological complication associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection. In clinical settings CM is predominantly characterized by fever, epileptic seizures, and asexual forms of parasite on blood smears, coma and even death. Cognitive impairment in the children and adults even after survival is one of the striking consequences of CM. Poor diagnosis often leads to inappropriate malaria therapy which in turn progress into a severe form of disease. Activation of multiple cell death pathways such as Inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis and disruption of blood brain barrier (BBB) plays critical role in the pathogenesis of CM and secondary brain damage. Thus, understanding such mechanisms of neuronal cell death might help to identify potential molecular targets for CM. Mitigation strategies for mortality rate and long-term cognitive deficits caused by existing anti-malarial drugs still remains a valid research question to ask. In this review, we discuss in detail about critical neuronal cell death mechanisms and the overall significance of adjunctive therapy with recent trends, which provides better insight towards establishing newer therapeutic strategies for CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravisankar Vanka
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Aditya Pharmacy College, Suramaplem, Gandepalli Mandal, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, 533437, India
| | - Venkata Prasuja Nakka
- Department of Biochemistry, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522510, India
| | - Simhadri Praveen Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India
| | - Uday Krishna Baruah
- Department of Pharmaceutics, JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty, Tamil Nadu 643001, India
| | - Phanithi Prakash Babu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India.
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3
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Moghaddam SM, Birbeck GL, Taylor TE, Seydel KB, Kampondeni SD, Potchen MJ. Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging in a Prospective Cohort of Children with Cerebral Malaria Offers Insights into Pathophysiology and Prognosis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2019; 40:1575-1580. [PMID: 31439630 PMCID: PMC7048462 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a6159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Validation of diffusion-weighted images obtained on 0.35T MR imaging in Malawi has facilitated meaningful review of previously unreported findings in cerebral malaria. Malawian children with acute cerebral malaria demonstrated restricted diffusion on brain MR imaging, including an unusual pattern of restriction isolated to the subcortical white matter. We describe the patterns of diffusion restriction in cerebral malaria and further evaluate risk factors for and outcomes associated with an isolated subcortical white matter diffusion restriction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2009 and 2014, comatose Malawian children admitted to the hospital with cerebral malaria underwent admission brain MR imaging. Imaging data were compiled via NeuroInterp, a RedCap data base. Clinical information obtained included coma score, serum studies, and coma duration. Electroencephalograms were obtained between 2009 and 2011. Outcomes captured included death, neurologic sequelae, or full recovery. RESULTS One hundred ninety-four/269 (72.1%) children with cerebral malaria demonstrated at least 1 area of diffusion restriction. The most common pattern was bilateral subcortical white matter involvement (41.6%), followed by corpus callosum (37.5%), deep gray matter (36.8%), cortical gray matter (17.8%), and posterior fossa (8.9%) involvement. Sixty-one (22.7%) demonstrated isolated subcortical white matter diffusion restriction. These children had lower whole-blood lactate levels (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98), were less likely to require anticonvulsants (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.30-0.98), had higher average electroencephalogram voltage (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02), were less likely to die (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.67), and were more likely to recover without neurologic sequelae (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5-9.1). CONCLUSIONS Restricted diffusion is common in pediatric cerebral malaria. Isolated subcortical white matter diffusion restriction is a unique imaging pattern associated with less severe disease and a good prognosis for full recovery. The underlying pathophysiology may be related to selective white matter vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Moghaddam
- From the Department of Imaging Sciences (S.M.M., M.J.P.)
| | - G L Birbeck
- Department of Neurology, Department of Public Health, Center for Experimental Therapeutics (G.L.B.), University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - T E Taylor
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties (T.E.T., K.B.S.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - K B Seydel
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties (T.E.T., K.B.S.), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - S D Kampondeni
- Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (S.D.K.), University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - M J Potchen
- From the Department of Imaging Sciences (S.M.M., M.J.P.)
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4
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Silva LS, Pinheiro AS, Teixeira DE, Silva-Aguiar RP, Peruchetti DB, Scharfstein J, Caruso-Neves C, Pinheiro AAS. Kinins Released by Erythrocytic Stages of Plasmodium falciparum Enhance Adhesion of Infected Erythrocytes to Endothelial Cells and Increase Blood Brain Barrier Permeability via Activation of Bradykinin Receptors. Front Med (Lausanne) 2019; 6:75. [PMID: 31058153 PMCID: PMC6478011 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:Plasmodium falciparum, the etiologic agent of malaria, is a major cause of infant death in Africa. Although research on the contact system has been revitalized by recent discoveries in the field of thrombosis, limited efforts were done to investigate the role of its proinflammatory arm, the kallikrein kinin system (KKS), in the pathogenesis of neglected parasitic diseases, such as malaria. Owing to the lack of animal models, the dynamics of central nervous system (CNS) pathology caused by the sequestration of erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum is not fully understood. Given the precedent that kinins destabilize the blood brain barrier (BBB) in ischemic stroke, here we sought to determine whether Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes (Pf-iRBC) conditioned medium enhances parasite sequestration and impairs BBB integrity via activation of the kallikrein kinin system (KKS). Methods: Monolayers of human brain endothelial cell line (BMECs) are preincubated with the conditioned medium from Pf-iRBCs or RBCs (controls) in the presence or absence of HOE-140 or DALBK, antagonists of bradykinin receptor B2 (B2R) and bradykinin receptor B1 (B1R), respectively. Following washing, the treated monolayers are incubated with erythrocytes, infected or not with P. falciparum mature forms, to examine whether the above treatment (i) has impact on the adhesion of Pf-iRBC to BMEC monolayer, (ii) increases the macromolecular permeability of the tracer BSA-FITC, and (iii) modifies the staining pattern of junctional proteins (ZO-1 and β-catenin). Results: We found that kinins generated in the parasite conditioned medium, acting via bradykinin B2 and/or B1 receptors (i) enhanced Pf-iRBC adhesion to the endothelium monolayer and (ii) impaired the endothelial junctions formed by ZO-1 and β-catenin, consequently disrupting the integrity of the BBB. Conclusions: Our studies raise the possibility that therapeutic targeting of kinin forming enzymes and/or endothelial bradykinin receptors might reduce extent of Pf-iRBC sequestration and help to preserve BBB integrity in cerebral malaria (CM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro S Silva
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alessandro S Pinheiro
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Douglas E Teixeira
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo P Silva-Aguiar
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Diogo B Peruchetti
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Julio Scharfstein
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Celso Caruso-Neves
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Medicina Regenerativa, INCT-Regenera, Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Acacia S Pinheiro
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Mengying Z, Yiyue X, Tong P, Yue H, Limpanont Y, Ping H, Okanurak K, Yanqi W, Dekumyoy P, Hongli Z, Watthanakulpanich D, Zhongdao W, Zhi W, Zhiyue L. Apoptosis and necroptosis of mouse hippocampal and parenchymal astrocytes, microglia and neurons caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:611. [PMID: 29258580 PMCID: PMC5735806 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2565-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiostrongylus cantonensis has been the only parasite among Angiostrongylidae to cause human central nervous system infection characterized by eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis. The mechanism of the extensive neurological impairments of hosts caused by A. cantonensis larvae remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate apoptosis, necroptosis and autophagy in the brains of mice infected with A. cantonensis, which will be valuable for better understanding the pathogenesis of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis. METHODS Functional and histological neurological impairments of brain tissues from mice infected with A. cantonensis were measured by the Morris water maze test and haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, respectively. The transcriptional and translational levels of apoptosis-, necroptosis- and autophagy-related genes were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and assessed by western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Apoptotic and necroptotic cells and their distributions in infected brain tissues were analysed by flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS Inflammatory response in the central nervous system deteriorated as A. cantonensis infection evolved, as characterized by abundant inflammatory cell infiltration underneath the meninges, which peaked at 21 days post-infection (dpi). The learning and memory capacities of the mice were significantly decreased at 14 dpi, indicating prominent impairment of their cognitive functions. Compared with those of the control group, the mRNA levels of caspase-3, -4, -6, and RIP3 and the protein levels of caspase-4, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-6, RIP3, and pRIP3 were obviously elevated. However, no changes in the mRNA or protein levels of FADD, Beclin-1 or LC3B were evident, indicating that apoptosis and necroptosis, but not autophagy, occurred in the brain tissues of mice infected with A. cantonensis. The quantitative RT-PCR, western blot, IHC, flow cytometry and TEM results further revealed the apoptotic and necroptotic microglia, astrocytes and neurons in the parenchymal and hippocampal regions of infected mice. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, we showed for the first time that A. cantonensis infection causes the apoptosis and necroptosis of microglia and astrocytes in the parenchymal and hippocampal regions of host brain tissues, further demonstrating the pathogenesis of A. cantonensis infection and providing potential therapeutic targets for the management of angiostrongyliasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Mengying
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Xu Yiyue
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Pan Tong
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Hu Yue
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Yanin Limpanont
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Huang Ping
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Kamolnetr Okanurak
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Wu Yanqi
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Paron Dekumyoy
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Zhou Hongli
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | | | - Wu Zhongdao
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Wang Zhi
- College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128 China
| | - Lv Zhiyue
- Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080 China
- Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, 510080 China
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Rathia SK, Sankar J, Kandasamy D, Lodha R. Plasmodium vivax Malaria Presenting with Multifocal Hemorrhagic Brain Infarcts in a School-going Child. J Trop Pediatr 2016; 62:341-4. [PMID: 26966243 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmw007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria is a well-known complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Over recent years, however, Plasmodium vivax also has been reported to cause cerebral malaria with or without co-infection with P. falciparum Here, we report a boy aged 10 years presenting with acute febrile encephalopathy with raised intracranial pressure to the emergency, who was later diagnosed to have P. vivax malaria. His neurological status improved gradually during 6 weeks of pediatric intensive care unit stay. We report this case to highlight the unusual radiologic findings in the patient, such as multifocal hemorrhagic infarcts in the brainstem, bilateral thalami, frontal cortex and basal ganglia, which have not been reported with P. vivax malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jhuma Sankar
- Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS, 110029 New Delhi, India
| | | | - Rakesh Lodha
- Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS, 110029 New Delhi, India
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Nacer A, Movila A, Sohet F, Girgis NM, Gundra UM, Loke P, Daneman R, Frevert U. Experimental cerebral malaria pathogenesis--hemodynamics at the blood brain barrier. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004528. [PMID: 25474413 PMCID: PMC4256476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria claims the lives of over 600,000 African children every year. To better understand the pathogenesis of this devastating disease, we compared the cellular dynamics in the cortical microvasculature between two infection models, Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infected CBA/CaJ mice, which develop experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), and P. yoelii 17XL (PyXL) infected mice, which succumb to malarial hyperparasitemia without neurological impairment. Using a combination of intravital imaging and flow cytometry, we show that significantly more CD8(+) T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages are recruited to postcapillary venules during ECM compared to hyperparasitemia. ECM correlated with ICAM-1 upregulation on macrophages, while vascular endothelia upregulated ICAM-1 during ECM and hyperparasitemia. The arrest of large numbers of leukocytes in postcapillary and larger venules caused microrheological alterations that significantly restricted the venous blood flow. Treatment with FTY720, which inhibits vascular leakage, neurological signs, and death from ECM, prevented the recruitment of a subpopulation of CD45(hi) CD8(+) T cells, ICAM-1(+) macrophages, and neutrophils to postcapillary venules. FTY720 had no effect on the ECM-associated expression of the pattern recognition receptor CD14 in postcapillary venules suggesting that endothelial activation is insufficient to cause vascular pathology. Expression of the endothelial tight junction proteins claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of PbA-infected mice with ECM was unaltered compared to FTY720-treated PbA-infected mice or PyXL-infected mice with hyperparasitemia. Thus, blood brain barrier opening does not involve endothelial injury and is likely reversible, consistent with the rapid recovery of many patients with CM. We conclude that the ECM-associated recruitment of large numbers of activated leukocytes, in particular CD8(+) T cells and ICAM(+) macrophages, causes a severe restriction in the venous blood efflux from the brain, which exacerbates the vasogenic edema and increases the intracranial pressure. Thus, death from ECM could potentially occur as a consequence of intracranial hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adéla Nacer
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alexandru Movila
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Fabien Sohet
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Natasha M. Girgis
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Uma Mahesh Gundra
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - P'ng Loke
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Richard Daneman
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ute Frevert
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Crompton PD, Moebius J, Portugal S, Waisberg M, Hart G, Garver LS, Miller LH, Barillas-Mury C, Pierce SK. Malaria immunity in man and mosquito: insights into unsolved mysteries of a deadly infectious disease. Annu Rev Immunol 2014; 32:157-87. [PMID: 24655294 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-032713-120220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites of the obligate intracellular Apicomplexa phylum the most deadly of which, Plasmodium falciparum, prevails in Africa. Malaria imposes a huge health burden on the world's most vulnerable populations, claiming the lives of nearly one million children and pregnant women each year. Although there is keen interest in eradicating malaria, we do not yet have the necessary tools to meet this challenge, including an effective malaria vaccine and adequate vector control strategies. Here we review what is known about the mechanisms at play in immune resistance to malaria in both the human and mosquito hosts at each step in the parasite's complex life cycle with a view toward developing the tools that will contribute to the prevention of disease and death and, ultimately, to the goal of malaria eradication. In so doing, we hope to inspire immunologists to participate in defeating this devastating disease.
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9
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Baccarella A, Huang BW, Fontana MF, Kim CC. Loss of Toll-like receptor 7 alters cytokine production and protects against experimental cerebral malaria. Malar J 2014; 13:354. [PMID: 25192715 PMCID: PMC4164820 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria, caused by Plasmodium sp. parasites, is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Cerebral malaria, characterized by neurological symptoms, is a life-threatening complication of malaria affecting over 500,000 young children in Africa every year. Because of the prevalence and severity of cerebral malaria, a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of its pathology is desirable and could inform future development of therapeutics. This study sought to clarify the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in promoting immunopathology associated with cerebral malaria, with a particular focus on the understudied TLR7. Methods Using the Plasmodium berghei ANKA mouse model of experimental cerebral malaria, C57BL/6 mice deficient in various TLRs were infected, and their resistance to cerebral malaria and immune activation through cytokine production were measured. Results Loss of TLR7 conferred partial protection against fatal experimental cerebral malaria. Additionally, loss of TLR signalling dysregulated the cytokine profile, resulting in a shift in the cytokine balance towards those with more anti-inflammatory properties. Conclusion This work identifies signalling through TLR7 as a source of pathology in experimental cerebral malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Charles C Kim
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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10
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Storm J, Craig AG. Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria--inflammation and cytoadherence. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2014; 4:100. [PMID: 25120958 PMCID: PMC4114466 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research on cerebral malaria (CM) there is still a paucity of knowledge about what actual causes CM and why certain people develop it. Although sequestration of P. falciparum infected red blood cells has been linked to pathology, it is still not clear if this is directly or solely responsible for this clinical syndrome. Recent data have suggested that a combination of parasite variant types, mainly defined by the variant surface antigen, P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), its receptors, coagulation and host endothelial cell activation (or inflammation) are equally important. This makes CM a multi-factorial disease and a challenge to unravel its causes to decrease its detrimental impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Storm
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool, UK ; Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW), University of Malawi College of Medicine Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Alister G Craig
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool, UK
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11
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Mohanty S, Taylor TE, Kampondeni S, Potchen MJ, Panda P, Majhi M, Mishra SK, Wassmer SC. Magnetic resonance imaging during life: the key to unlock cerebral malaria pathogenesis? Malar J 2014; 13:276. [PMID: 25038815 PMCID: PMC4114090 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of cerebral malaria in patients with Plasmodium falciparum infection is necessary to implement new curative interventions. While autopsy-based studies shed some light on several pathological events that are believed to be crucial in the development of this neurologic syndrome, their investigative potential is limited and has not allowed the identification of causes of death in patients who succumb to it. This can only be achieved by comparing features between patients who die from cerebral malaria and those who survive. In this review, several alternative approaches recently developed to facilitate the comparison of specific parameters between fatal, non-fatal cerebral malaria and uncomplicated malaria patients are described, as well as their limitations. The emergence of neuroimaging as a revolutionary tool in identifying critical structural and functional modifications of the brain during cerebral malaria is discussed and highly promising areas of clinical research using magnetic resonance imaging are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Samuel C Wassmer
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, 341 East 25th Street, New York NY 10010, USA.
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12
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Abreu TP, Silva LS, Takiya CM, Souza MC, Henriques MG, Pinheiro AAS, Caruso-Neves C. Mice rescued from severe malaria are protected against renal injury during a second kidney insult. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93634. [PMID: 24736406 PMCID: PMC3988045 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a worldwide disease that leads to 1 million deaths per year. Plasmodium falciparum is the species responsible for the most severe form of malaria leading to different complications. Beyond the development of cerebral malaria, impairment of renal function is a mortality indicator in infected patients. Treatment with antimalarial drugs can increase survival, however the long-term effects of malaria on renal disease, even after treatment with antimalarials, are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of antimalarial drug treatment on renal function in a murine model of severe malaria and then evaluate kidney susceptibility to a second renal insult. Initially, mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA achieved 20% parasitemia on day 5 post infection, which was completely abolished after treatment with 25 mg/kg artesunate and 40 mg/kg mefloquine. The treatment also decreased plasma creatinine levels by 43% and partially reversed the reduction in the glomerular filtration rate induced by infection. The urinary protein/creatinine ratio, collagen deposition, and size of the interstitial space decreased by 75%, 40%, and 20%, respectively, with drugs compared with untreated infected animals. In infected-treated mice that underwent a second renal insult, the plasma creatinine level decreased by 60% and the glomerular filtration rate increased compared with infected animals treated only with antimalarials. The number of glomerular cells, collagen deposition and the size of the interstitial space decreased by 20%, 39.4%, and 41.3%, respectively, in the infected group that underwent a second renal insult compared with the infected-treated groups. These functional and structural data show that renal injury observed in a murine model of severe malaria is partially reversed after antimalarial drug treatment, making the kidney less susceptible to a second renal insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago P. Abreu
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Leandro S. Silva
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Christina M. Takiya
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mariana C. Souza
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria G. Henriques
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Acacia S. Pinheiro
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional para Pesquisa Translacional em Saúde e Ambiente na Região Amazônica, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/MCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Celso Caruso-Neves
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia e Bioimagem, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/MCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Monteiro MC, Oliveira FR, Oliveira GB, Romao PRT, Maia CSF. Neurological and behavioral manifestations of cerebral malaria: An update. World J Transl Med 2014; 3:9-16. [DOI: 10.5528/wjtm.v3.i1.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases are a group of tropical diseases endemic in poor countries even though medical treatment and cures are available. They are considered a global health problem due to the severity of the physiological changes they induce in their hosts. Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium sp. that in its cerebral form may lead to acute or long-term neurological deficits, even with effective antimalarial therapy, causing vascular obstruction, reduced cerebral blood flow and many other changes. However, Plasmodium falciparum infection can also develop into a cerebral malaria (CM) disease that can produce neurological damage. This review will discuss the mechanisms involved in the neuropathology caused by CM, focusing on alterations in cognitive, behavior and neurological functions in human and experimental models.
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Frevert U, Nacer A. Immunobiology of Plasmodium in liver and brain. Parasite Immunol 2014; 35:267-82. [PMID: 23631610 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the most serious health problems globally, but our understanding of the biology of the parasite and the pathogenesis of severe disease is still limited. Multiple cellular effector mechanisms that mediate parasite elimination from the liver have been described, but how effector cells use classical granule-mediated cytotoxicity to attack infected hepatocytes and how cytokines and chemokines spread via the unique fluid pathways of the liver to reach the parasites over considerable distances remains unknown. Similarly, a wealth of information on cerebral malaria (CM), one of the most severe manifestations of the disease, was gained from post-mortem analyses of human brain and murine disease models, but the cellular processes that ultimately cause disease are not fully understood. Here, we discuss how imaging of the local dynamics of parasite infection and host response as well as consideration of anatomical and physiological features of liver and brain can provide a better understanding of the initial asymptomatic hepatic phase of the infection and the cascade of events leading to CM. Given the increasing drug resistance of both parasite and vector and the unavailability of a protective vaccine, the urgency to reduce the tremendous morbidity and mortality associated with severe malaria is obvious.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Frevert
- Division of Medical Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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15
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Francischetti IMB, Gordon E, Bizzarro B, Gera N, Andrade BB, Oliveira F, Ma D, Assumpção TCF, Ribeiro JMC, Pena M, Qi CF, Diouf A, Moretz SE, Long CA, Ackerman HC, Pierce SK, Sá-Nunes A, Waisberg M. Tempol, an intracellular antioxidant, inhibits tissue factor expression, attenuates dendritic cell function, and is partially protective in a murine model of cerebral malaria. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87140. [PMID: 24586264 PMCID: PMC3938406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The role of intracellular radical oxygen species (ROS) in pathogenesis of cerebral malaria (CM) remains incompletely understood. Methods and Findings We undertook testing Tempol—a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic and pleiotropic intracellular antioxidant—in cells relevant to malaria pathogenesis in the context of coagulation and inflammation. Tempol was also tested in a murine model of CM induced by Plasmodium berghei Anka infection. Tempol was found to prevent transcription and functional expression of procoagulant tissue factor in endothelial cells (ECs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This effect was accompanied by inhibition of IL-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) production. Tempol also attenuated platelet aggregation and human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells oxidative burst. In dendritic cells, Tempol inhibited LPS-induced production of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12p70, downregulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules, and prevented antigen-dependent lymphocyte proliferation. Notably, Tempol (20 mg/kg) partially increased the survival of mice with CM. Mechanistically, treated mice had lowered plasma levels of MCP-1, suggesting that Tempol downmodulates EC function and vascular inflammation. Tempol also diminished blood brain barrier permeability associated with CM when started at day 4 post infection but not at day 1, suggesting that ROS production is tightly regulated. Other antioxidants—such as α-phenyl N-tertiary-butyl nitrone (PBN; a spin trap), MnTe-2-PyP and MnTBAP (Mn-phorphyrin), Mitoquinone (MitoQ) and Mitotempo (mitochondrial antioxidants), M30 (an iron chelator), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; polyphenol from green tea) did not improve survival. By contrast, these compounds (except PBN) inhibited Plasmodium falciparum growth in culture with different IC50s. Knockout mice for SOD1 or phagocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (gp91phox–/–) or mice treated with inhibitors of SOD (diethyldithiocarbamate) or NADPH oxidase (diphenyleneiodonium) did not show protection or exacerbation for CM. Conclusion Results with Tempol suggest that intracellular ROS contribute, in part, to CM pathogenesis. Therapeutic targeting of intracellular ROS in CM is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo M. B. Francischetti
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (IMBF); (MW)
| | - Emile Gordon
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bruna Bizzarro
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nidhi Gera
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bruno B. Andrade
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Fabiano Oliveira
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dongying Ma
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Teresa C. F. Assumpção
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mirna Pena
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chen-Feng Qi
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ababacar Diouf
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Samuel E. Moretz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carole A. Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hans C. Ackerman
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Susan K. Pierce
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anderson Sá-Nunes
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Michael Waisberg
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- University of Virginia, Department of Pathology, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (IMBF); (MW)
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Ball EA, Sambo MR, Martins M, Trovoada MJ, Benchimol C, Costa J, Antunes Gonçalves L, Coutinho A, Penha-Gonçalves C. IFNAR1 Controls Progression to Cerebral Malaria in Children and CD8+ T Cell Brain Pathology in Plasmodium berghei–Infected Mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 190:5118-27. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Abstract
One hundred and twenty years ago, the Italian malariologists Marchiafava and Bignami proposed that the fundamental pathological process underlying lethal falciparum malaria was microvascular obstruction. Since then, several alternative hypotheses have been proposed. These formed the basis for adjunctive interventions, which have either been ineffective or harmful. Recent evidence strongly suggests that Marchiafava and Bignami were right.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J White
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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18
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Abstract
Malaria, the most significant parasitic disease of man, kills approximately one million people per year. Half of these deaths occur in those with cerebral malaria (CM). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines CM as an otherwise unexplained coma in a patient with malarial parasitemia. Worldwide, CM occurs primarily in African children and Asian adults, with the vast majority (greater than 90%) of cases occurring in children 5 years old or younger in sub-Saharan Africa. The pathophysiology of the disease is complex and involves infected erythrocyte sequestration, cerebral inflammation, and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. A recently characterized malarial retinopathy is visual evidence of Plasmodium falciparum's pathophysiological processes occurring in the affected patient. Treatment consists of supportive care and antimalarial administration. Thus far, adjuvant therapies have not been shown to improve mortality rates or neurological outcomes in children with CM. For those who survive CM, residual neurological abnormalities are common. Epilepsy, cognitive impairment, behavioral disorders, and gross neurological deficits which include motor, sensory, and language impairments are frequent sequelae. Primary prevention strategies, including bed nets, vaccine development, and chemoprophylaxis, are in varied states of development and implementation. Continuing efforts to find successful primary prevention options and strategies to decrease neurological sequelae are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G Postels
- Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program (INPEP), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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Abstract
Parasitic infections of the central nervous system (CNS) include two broad categories of infectious organisms: single-celled protozoa and multicellular metazoa. The protozoal infections include malaria, American trypanosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, amebiasis, microsporidiasis, and leishmaniasis. The metazoal infections are grouped into flatworms, which include trematoda and cestoda, and roundworms or nematoda. Trematoda infections include schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis. Cestoda infections include cysticercosis, coenurosis, hydatidosis, and sparganosis. Nematoda infections include gnathostomiasis, angiostrongyliasis, toxocariasis, strongyloidiasis, filariasis, baylisascariasis, dracunculiasis, micronemiasis, and lagochilascariasis. The most common route of CNS invasion is through the blood. In some cases, the parasite invades the olfactory neuroepithelium in the nasal mucosa and penetrates the brain via the subarachnoid space or reaches the CNS through neural foramina of the skull base around the cranial nerves or vessels. The neuropathological changes vary greatly, depending on the type and size of the parasite, geographical strain variations in parasitic virulence, immune evasion by the parasite, and differences in host immune response. Congestion of the leptomeninges, cerebral edema, hemorrhage, thrombosis, vasculitis, necrosis, calcification, abscesses, meningeal and perivascular polymorphonuclear and mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate, microglial nodules, gliosis, granulomas, and fibrosis can be found affecting isolated or multiple regions of the CNS, or even diffusely spread. Some infections may be present as an expanding mass lesion. The parasites can be identified by conventional histology, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Eymard Homem Pittella
- Pathology Service, Hospital das Clínicas, Medical Faculty of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Nacer A, Movila A, Baer K, Mikolajczak SA, Kappe SHI, Frevert U. Neuroimmunological blood brain barrier opening in experimental cerebral malaria. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002982. [PMID: 23133375 PMCID: PMC3486917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria is responsible for nearly one million annual deaths worldwide. Because of the difficulty in monitoring the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria in humans, we conducted a study in various mouse models to better understand disease progression in experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). We compared the effect on the integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and the histopathology of the brain of P. berghei ANKA, a known ECM model, P. berghei NK65, generally thought not to induce ECM, P. yoelii 17XL, originally reported to induce human cerebral malaria-like histopathology, and P. yoelii YM. As expected, P. berghei ANKA infection caused neurological signs, cerebral hemorrhages, and BBB dysfunction in CBA/CaJ and Swiss Webster mice, while Balb/c and A/J mice were resistant. Surprisingly, PbNK induced ECM in CBA/CaJ mice, while all other mice were resistant. P. yoelii 17XL and P. yoelii YM caused lethal hyperparasitemia in all mouse strains; histopathological alterations, BBB dysfunction, or neurological signs were not observed. Intravital imaging revealed that infected erythrocytes containing mature parasites passed slowly through capillaries making intimate contact with the endothelium, but did not arrest. Except for relatively rare microhemorrhages, mice with ECM presented no obvious histopathological alterations that would explain the widespread disruption of the BBB. Intravital imaging did reveal, however, that postcapillary venules, but not capillaries or arterioles, from mice with ECM, but not hyperparasitemia, exhibit platelet marginalization, extravascular fibrin deposition, CD14 expression, and extensive vascular leakage. Blockage of LFA-1 mediated cellular interactions prevented leukocyte adhesion, vascular leakage, neurological signs, and death from ECM. The endothelial barrier-stabilizing mediators imatinib and FTY720 inhibited vascular leakage and neurological signs and prolonged survival to ECM. Thus, it appears that neurological signs and coma in ECM are due to regulated opening of paracellular-junctional and transcellular-vesicular fluid transport pathways at the neuroimmunological BBB. Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of all human malaria parasites, can cause cerebral malaria, a severe and frequently fatal complication of this devastating disease. Young children are predominantly at risk and may progress rapidly from the first signs of neurological involvement to coma and death. Here we used a murine model for high-resolution in vivo imaging to demonstrate that cerebral malaria, but not high parasitemia and severe anemia, is associated with extensive leakage of fluid from cerebral blood vessels into the brain tissue. This vascular leakage occurs downstream from the capillary bed, at the neuroimmunological blood brain barrier, a site recently recognized as the immune cell entry point into the brain during neuroinflammation. Vascular leakage is closely associated with the appearance of neurological signs suggesting that the ultimate cause of brain edema, coma and death in cerebral malaria is a widespread opening of the neuroimmunological blood brain barrier. Indeed, vascular leakage, neurological signs, and death from ECM can be prevented with endothelial barrier-stabilizing drugs. Based on the unique role of this anatomical feature in neuroinflammation, our findings are expected to have implications for other infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Nacer
- Division of Medical Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alexandru Movila
- Division of Medical Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kerstin Baer
- Division of Medical Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Stefan H. I. Kappe
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ute Frevert
- Division of Medical Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pathogenesis of malaria in tissues and blood. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis 2012; 4:e2012061. [PMID: 23170190 PMCID: PMC3499994 DOI: 10.4084/mjhid.2012.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical manifestations of severe malaria are several and occur in different anatomical sites. Both parasite- and host-related factors contribute to the pathogenicity of the severe forms of the disease. Cytoadherence of infected red blood cells to the vascular endothelium of different organs and rosetting are unique features of malaria parasites which are likely to contribute to the vascular damage and the consequent excessive inflammatory/immune response of the host. In addition to cerebral malaria or severe anaemia, which are quite common manifestation of severe malaria, clinical evidences of thrombocytopenia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), liver and kidney disease, are reported. In primigravidae from endemic areas, life threatening placental malaria may also be present. In the following pages, some of the pathogenetic aspects will be briefly reviewed and then data on selected and less frequent manifestation of severe malaria, such as liver or renal failure or ARDS will be discussed.
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Innate recognition of malarial parasites by mammalian hosts. Int J Parasitol 2012; 42:557-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Potchen MJ, Kampondeni SD, Seydel KB, Birbeck GL, Hammond CA, Bradley WG, DeMarco JK, Glover SJ, Ugorji JO, Latourette MT, Siebert JE, Molyneux ME, Taylor TE. Acute brain MRI findings in 120 Malawian children with cerebral malaria: new insights into an ancient disease. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2012; 33:1740-6. [PMID: 22517285 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There have been few neuroimaging studies of pediatric CM, a common often fatal tropical condition. We undertook a prospective study of pediatric CM to better characterize the MRI features of this syndrome, comparing findings in children meeting a stringent definition of CM with those in a control group who were infected with malaria but who were likely to have a nonmalarial cause of coma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Consecutive children admitted with traditionally defined CM (parasitemia, coma, and no other coma etiology evident) were eligible for this study. The presence or absence of malaria retinopathy was determined. MRI findings in children with ret+ CM (patients) were compared with those with ret- CM (controls). Two radiologists blinded to retinopathy status jointly developed a scoring procedure for image interpretation and provided independent reviews. MRI findings were compared between patients with and without retinopathy, to assess the specificity of changes for patients with very strictly defined CM. RESULTS Of 152 children with clinically defined CM, 120 were ret+, and 32 were ret-. Abnormalities much more common in the patients with ret+ CM were markedly increased brain volume; abnormal T2 signal intensity; and DWI abnormalities in the cortical, deep gray, and white matter structures. Focal abnormalities rarely respected arterial vascular distributions. Most of the findings in the more clinically heterogeneous ret- group were normal, and none of the abnormalities noted were more prevalent in controls. CONCLUSIONS Distinctive MRI findings present in patients meeting a stringent definition of CM may offer insights into disease pathogenesis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Potchen
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Abstract
Background The mortality of severe malaria [cerebral malaria (CM), severe malaria anemia (SMA), acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)] remains high despite the availability associated with adequate treatments. Recent studies in our laboratory and others have revealed a hitherto unknown correlation between chemokine CXCL10/CXCR3, Heme/HO-1 and STAT3 and cerebral malaria severity and mortality. Although Heme/HO-1 and CXCL10/CXCR3 interactions are directly involved in the pathogenesis of CM and fatal disease, the mechanism dictating how Heme/HO-1 and CXCL10/CXCR3 are expressed and regulated under these conditions is still unknown. We therefore tested the hypothesis that these factors share common signaling pathways and may be mutually regulated. Methods We first clarified the roles of Heme/HO-1, CXCL10/CXCR3 and STAT3 in CM pathogenesis utilizing a well established experimental cerebral malaria mouse (ECM, P. berghei ANKA) model. Then, we further determined the mechanisms how STAT3 regulates HO-1 and CXCL10 as well as mutual regulation among them in CRL-2581, a murine endothelial cell line. Results The results demonstrate that (1) STAT3 is activated by P. berghei ANKA (PBA) infection in vivo and Heme in vitro. (2) Heme up-regulates HO-1 and CXCL10 production through STAT3 pathway, and regulates CXCL10 at the transcriptional level in vitro. (3) HO-1 transcription is positively regulated by CXCL10. (4) HO-1 regulates STAT3 signaling. Conclusion Our data indicate that Heme/HO-1, CXCL10/CXCR3 and STAT3 molecules as well as related signaling pathways play very important roles in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. We conclude that these factors are mutually regulated and provide new opportunities to develop potential novel therapeutic targets that could be used to supplement traditional prophylactics and treatments for malaria and improve clinical outcomes while reducing malaria mortality. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel therapies targeting Heme or CXCL10-related biological signaling molecules associated with development of fatal malaria.
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25
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Colombo E, Borgiani B, Verderio C, Furlan R. Microvesicles: novel biomarkers for neurological disorders. Front Physiol 2012; 3:63. [PMID: 22479250 PMCID: PMC3315111 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Microvesicles (MVs) are released by most cell types in physiological conditions, but their number is often increased upon cellular activation or neoplastic transformation. This suggests that their detection may be helpful in pathological conditions to have information on activated cell types and, possibly, on the nature of the activation. This could be of paramount importance in districts and tissues that are not accessible to direct examination, such as the central nervous system. Increased release of MVs has been described to be associated to the acute or active phase of several neurological disorders. While the subcellular origin of MVs (exosome or ectosomes) is basically never addressed in these studies because of technical limitations, the cell of origin is always identified. Endothelium- or platelet-derived MVs, detected in plasma or serum, are linked to neurological pathologies with a vascular or ischemic pathogenic component, and may represent a very useful marker to support therapeutic choices in stroke. In neuroinflammatory disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, MVs of oligodendroglial, or microglial origin have been described in the cerebrospinal fluid and may carry, in perspective, additional information on the biological alterations in their cell of origin. Little specific evidence is available in neurodegenerative disorders and, specifically, MVs of neural origin have never been investigated in these pathologies. Few data have been reported for neuroinfection and brain trauma. In brain tumors, despite the limited number of studies performed, results are very promising and potentially close to clinical translation. We here review all currently available data on the detection of MVs in neurological diseases, limiting our search to exclusively human studies. Current literature and our own data indicate that MVs detection may represent a very promising strategy to gain pathogenic information, identify therapeutic targets, and select specific biomarkers for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Colombo
- Clinical Neuroimmunology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan, Italy
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Hochman S, Kim K. The Impact of HIV Coinfection on Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis. JOURNAL OF NEUROPARASITOLOGY 2012; 3:235547. [PMID: 22545215 PMCID: PMC3336366 DOI: 10.4303/jnp/235547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
HIV infection is widespread throughout the world and is especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Similarly, Plasmodium falciparum, the most common cause of severe malaria, affects large areas of sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Although initial studies suggested that HIV and malaria had independent impact upon patient outcomes, recent studies have indicated a more significant interaction. Clinical studies have shown that people infected with HIV have more frequent and severe episodes of malaria, and parameters of HIV disease progression worsen in individuals during acute malaria episodes. However, the effect of HIV on development of cerebral malaria, a manifestation of P. falciparum infection that is frequently fatal, has not been characterized. We review clinical and basic science studies pertaining to HIV and malaria coinfection and cerebral malaria in particular in order to highlight the likely role HIV plays in exacerbating cerebral malaria pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hochman
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Ponsford MJ, Medana IM, Prapansilp P, Hien TT, Lee SJ, Dondorp AM, Esiri MM, Day NPJ, White NJ, Turner GDH. Sequestration and microvascular congestion are associated with coma in human cerebral malaria. J Infect Dis 2012; 205:663-71. [PMID: 22207648 PMCID: PMC3266137 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jir812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2010] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of coma in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains poorly understood. Obstruction of the brain microvasculature because of sequestration of parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs) represents one mechanism that could contribute to coma in cerebral malaria. Quantitative postmortem microscopy of brain sections from Vietnamese adults dying of malaria confirmed that sequestration in the cerebral microvasculature was significantly higher in patients with cerebral malaria (CM; n = 21) than in patients with non-CM (n = 23). Sequestration of pRBCs and CM was also significantly associated with increased microvascular congestion by infected and uninfected erythrocytes. Clinicopathological correlation showed that sequestration and congestion were significantly associated with deeper levels of premortem coma and shorter time to death. Microvascular congestion and sequestration were highly correlated as microscopic findings but were independent predictors of a clinical diagnosis of CM. Increased microvascular congestion accompanies coma in CM, associated with parasite sequestration in the cerebral microvasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Panote Prapansilp
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tran Tinh Hien
- Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Arjen M. Dondorp
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit
| | | | - Nicholas P. J. Day
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit
| | - Nicholas J. White
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit
| | - Gareth D. H. Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit
- Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Fatih FA, Siner A, Ahmed A, Woon LC, Craig AG, Singh B, Krishna S, Cox-Singh J. Cytoadherence and virulence - the case of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Malar J 2012; 11:33. [PMID: 22305466 PMCID: PMC3330018 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cytoadherence of infected red blood cells to brain endothelium is causally implicated in malarial coma, one of the severe manifestations of falciparum malaria. Cytoadherence is mediated by specific binding of variant parasite antigens, expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes, to endothelial receptors including, ICAM-1, VCAM and CD36. In fatal cases of severe falciparum malaria with coma, blood vessels in the brain are characteristically congested with infected erythrocytes. Brain sections from a fatal case of knowlesi malaria, but without coma, were similarly congested with infected erythrocytes. The objective of this study was to determine the binding phenotype of Plasmodium knowlesi infected human erythrocytes to recombinant human ICAM-1, VCAM and CD36. Methods Five patients with PCR-confirmed P. knowlesi malaria were recruited into the study with consent between April and August 2010. Pre-treatment venous blood was washed and cultured ex vivo to increase the proportion of schizont-infected erythrocytes. Cultured blood was seeded into Petri dishes with triplicate areas coated with ICAM-1, VCAM and CD36. Following incubation at 37°C for one hour the dishes were washed and the number of infected erythrocytes bound/mm2 to PBS control areas and to recombinant human ICAM-1 VCAM and CD36 coated areas were recorded. Each assay was performed in duplicate. Assay performance was monitored with the Plasmodium falciparum clone HB3. Results Blood samples were cultured ex vivo for up to 14.5 h (mean 11.3 ± 1.9 h) to increase the relative proportion of mature trophozoite and schizont-infected red blood cells to at least 50% (mean 65.8 ± 17.51%). Three (60%) isolates bound significantly to ICAM-1 and VCAM, one (20%) isolate bound to VCAM and none of the five bound significantly to CD36. Conclusions Plasmodium knowlesi infected erythrocytes from human subjects bind in a specific but variable manner to the inducible endothelial receptors ICAM-1 and VCAM. Binding to the constitutively-expressed endothelial receptor CD36 was not detected. Further work will be required to define the pathological consequences of these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farrah A Fatih
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
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Malaria parasite tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase secretion triggers pro-inflammatory responses. Nat Commun 2011; 2:530. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Wassmer SC, Combes V, Grau GE. Platelets and microparticles in cerebral malaria: the unusual suspects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Gallien S, Roussilhon C, Blanc C, Pérignon JL, Druilhe P. Autoantibody against dendrite in Plasmodium falciparum infection: a singular auto-immune phenomenon preferentially in cerebral malaria. Acta Trop 2011; 118:67-70. [PMID: 21315059 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Revised: 01/13/2011] [Accepted: 01/16/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
To investigate auto-reactive antibodies against dendrites of neurons (AAD) previously reported in cerebral malaria (CM) for their functional biological activity, a serological study was conducted in a larger cohort of patients with CM and uncomplicated falciparum malaria (UM). Sera from Thai adults with CM (n=22) and UM (n=21) were tested to determine the titers of AAD by indirect fluorescent antibody test and specific antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum antigens by ELISA. Immunoreactivity against the dendrites of neurons was observed in 100% of sera from the cerebral malaria group as compared to 71% from the non-cerebral malaria group, and the median titer of AAD was higher in CM versus UM, though the difference did not reach significance. In contrast an opposite pattern was seen for anti-P. falciparum antibody titers, which were significantly lower among CM than among UM patients, both for IgG and IgM (p=0.024 and p=0.0033, respectively). Our results indicate that this auto-immune phenomenon induced by P. falciparum infection occurs preferentially in cerebral malaria despite lower responses in parasite-specific antibody responses.
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