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Little JS, Oakley MS, Thorner AR, Johnston D, Majam V, Liakos AD, Novack LA, Zheng H, Meredith S, Chou CK, Newton BR, Soiffer RJ, Krause PJ, Baden LR, Kumar S. Immune Control in Repeated Babesia microti Infection in a Patient With B-Cell Deficiency. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofad568. [PMID: 38213635 PMCID: PMC10783156 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The immunology of human babesiosis is poorly investigated. We present a comprehensive investigation of a 75-year-old man with B-cell deficiency who experienced 3 episodes of babesiosis over a 6-year period. Slowly evolving clinical immunity was observed, as evidenced by milder clinical symptoms and lower peak parasite burden after each subsequent babesiosis episode. The patient exhibited several striking immunologic findings. First, the patient had exceptionally high Babesia microti-specific antibodies despite very few circulating B cells, which predominantly coexpressed CD27 (memory marker) and CD95 (death receptor). Second, we demonstrated the presence of long-lasting NK cells and expansion of T memory stem cells. Third, levels of the IP-10 cytokine directly correlated with parasite burden. These results raise fundamental questions on the priming, maintenance, and location of a B-cell population that produces high antibody levels in the face of severe B-cell deficiency. Our results should invoke interest among researchers to study the immunology and pathogenesis of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Little
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Miranda S Oakley
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna R Thorner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Demerise Johnston
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Victoria Majam
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexis D Liakos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lewis A Novack
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hong Zheng
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Scott Meredith
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Chao-Kai Chou
- Facility for Biotechnology Resources, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Benjamin R Newton
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Robert J Soiffer
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sanjai Kumar
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Zafar I, Taniguchi T, Baghdadi HB, Kondoh D, Rizk MA, Galon EM, Ji S, El-Sayed SAES, Do T, Li H, Amer MM, Zhuowei M, Yihong M, Zhou J, Inoue N, Xuan X. Babesia microti alleviates disease manifestations caused by Plasmodium berghei ANKA in murine co-infection model of complicated malaria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1226088. [PMID: 37492527 PMCID: PMC10364126 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1226088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the most significant health issues worldwide, accounting for 2.6% of the total global disease burden, and efforts to eliminate this threat continue. The key focus is to develop an efficient and long-term immunity to this disease via vaccination or therapeutic approach, and innovative strategies would enable us to achieve this target. Previously, using a mouse co-infection disease model, cross-protection was illustrated between Babesia microti and Plasmodium chabaudi. Hence, this study was planned to elucidate the impact of acute B. microti Peabody mjr and Plasmodium berghei ANKA co-infection on the consequence of complicated malaria in the C57BL/6J mouse model of malaria. Furthermore, immune response and pathological features were analyzed, and the course of the disease was compared among experimental groups. Our study established that acute B. microti infection activated immunity which was otherwise suppressed by P. berghei. The immunosuppressive tissue microenvironment was counteracted as evidenced by the enhanced immune cell population in co-infected mice, in contrast to P. berghei-infected control mice. Parasite sequestration in the brain, liver, lung, and spleen of co-infected mice was significantly decreased and tissue injury was ameliorated. Meanwhile, the serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12p70 were reduced while the secretion of IL-10 was promoted in co-infected mice. Eventually, co-infected mice showed an extended rate of survival. Hereby, the principal cytokines associated with the severity of malaria by P. berghei infection were TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-12p70. Moreover, it was evident from our flow cytometry results that innate immunity is crucial and macrophages are at the frontline of immunity against P. berghei infection. Our study recommended further investigations to shed light on the effects of babesiosis in suppressing malaria with the goal of developing Babesia-based therapy against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Zafar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Veterinary Research Institute, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Tomoyo Taniguchi
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara Cho, Japan
| | - Hanadi B. Baghdadi
- Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Daisuke Kondoh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite, Philippines
| | - Shengwei Ji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Thom Do
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Hang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Moaz M. Amer
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Ma Zhuowei
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Ma Yihong
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Noboru Inoue
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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Jasik K, Kleczka A, Filipowska S. Histopathological Analysis of Selected Organs of Rats with Congenital Babesiosis Caused by Babesia microti. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10040291. [PMID: 37104446 PMCID: PMC10141988 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10040291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease with an increasing number of cases each year. Due to the non-specific symptoms of babesiosis, insightful analyses of the pathogenesis of babesiosis are still very important. Transmission of the disease occurs in a few ways, which makes laboratory diagnosis of piroplasmosis important. Complications associated with the infection can be tragic, especially in patients with immunological disorders. The aim of this study was the histopathological analysis of the spleen and kidney of young Wistar rats infected transplacentally with Babesia microti. Female rats were infected with a reference strain of B. microti (ATCC 30221), and then, birth 3-week-old males were euthanized with isoflurane. Subsequently, the material was collected at autopsy for microscopic and ultrastructural examination. Microscopic and ultrastructural analysis of the spleen and kidney showed degenerative changes within the organ parenchyma and the capsules surrounding the organ. Regenerative and reparative changes through mitotic divisions of parenchymal cells were also evident. Merozoites of B. microti were visible in the section of erythrocytes and the cells building the organ stroma. The results presented in this study proved the negative effects of B. microti on cells and tissues in rats with congenital babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Jasik
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ostrogórska 30, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Anna Kleczka
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ostrogórska 30, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Sandra Filipowska
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ostrogórska 30, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
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