Kinetics of monocyte subpopulations during experimental cerebral malaria and its resolution in a model of late chloroquine treatment

Cerebral malaria (CM) is one of the most severe forms of malaria and is a neuropathology that can lead to death. Monocytes have been shown to accumulate in the brain microvasculature at the onset of neurological symptoms during CM. Monocytes have a remarkable ability to adapt their function to their microenvironment from pro-inflammatory to resolving activities. This study aimed to describe the behavior of monocyte subpopulations during infection and its resolution. C57BL/6 mice were infected with the Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain and treated or not with chloroquine (CQ) on the first day of the onset of neurological symptoms (day 6) for 4 days and followed until day 12 to mimic neuroinflammation and its resolution during experimental CM. Ly6C monocyte subpopulations were identified by flow cytometry of cells from the spleen, peripheral blood, and brain and then quantified and characterized at different time points. In the brain, the Ly6C^int and Ly6C^low monocytes were associated with neuroinflammation, while Ly6C^hi and Ly6C^int were mobilized from the peripheral blood to the brain for resolution. During neuroinflammation, CD36 and CD163 were both involved via splenic monocytes, whereas our results suggest that the low CD36 expression in the brain during the neuroinflammation phase was due to degradation. The resolution phase was characterized by increased expressions of CD36 and CD163 in blood Ly6C^low monocytes, a higher expression of CD36 in the microglia, and restored high expression levels of CD163 in Ly6C^hi monocytes localized in the brain. Thus, our results suggest that increasing the expressions of CD36 and CD163 specifically in the brain during the neuroinflammatory phase contributes to its resolution.

OUP accepted manuscript

Cerebral malaria (CM) is the severest form of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Children under 5 years old are those most vulnerable to CM, and they consequently have the highest risk of malaria-related death. Parasite-associated factors leading to CM are not yet fully elucidated. We therefore sought to characterize the gene expression profile associated with CM, using RNA sequencing data from 15 CM and 15 uncomplicated malaria isolates from Benin. Cerebral malaria parasites displayed reduced circulation times, possibly related to higher cytoadherence capacity. Consistent with the latter, we detected increased var genes abundance in CM isolates. Differential expression analyses showed that distinct transcriptome profiles are signatures of malaria severity. Genes involved in adhesion, excluding variant surface antigens, were dysregulated, supporting the idea of increased cytoadhesion capacity of CM parasites. Finally, we found dysregulated expression of genes in the entry into host pathway that may reflect greater erythrocyte invasion capacity of CM parasites.

Multiple independent introductions of Plasmodium falciparum in South America

The origin of Plasmodium falciparum in South America is controversial. Some studies suggest a recent introduction during the European colonizations and the transatlantic slave trade. Other evidence--archeological and genetic--suggests a much older origin. We collected and analyzed P. falciparum isolates from different regions of the world, encompassing the distribution range of the parasite, including populations from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America. Analyses of microsatellite and SNP polymorphisms show that the populations of P. falciparum in South America are subdivided in two main genetic clusters (northern and southern). Phylogenetic analyses, as well as Approximate Bayesian Computation methods suggest independent introductions of the two clusters from African sources. Our estimates of divergence time between the South American populations and their likely sources favor a likely introduction from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.

[Value of rapid tests for diagnosis of malaria in Benin]

Reliable diagnosis of malaria is essential in malaria endemic areas. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of rapid diagnostic tests to that of the thick and thin blood smear techniques conventionally used for diagnosis of malaria. A total of 84 patients presenting malaria symptoms were included and tested for malaria. Results of blood smears and rapid tests performed blindly in external labs were compared with results of blood smears and PCR done in our reference laboratory. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value were determined using PCR as the gold standard. Results of the rapid diagnostic test were much better than those of the microscopic technique performed in external labs, particularly with regard to true positivity. The blood smear technique in external labs led to 12 false positive diagnoses and was associated with a lower positive predictive value than the rapid test: 58.6% vs. 85.7%. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid test were also higher than those obtained in external laboratories using blood smear techniques: 90.0% and 95.3% respectively versus 85.0% and 81.2% respectively. The results of this study indicate that the rapid test is more reliable than microscopy and that its use would improve malaria diagnosis. Risks factors for false diagnosis and limitations of the different diagnostic techniques are discussed.

A Shared Asian Origin of the Triple‐MutantdhfrAllele inPlasmodium falciparumfrom Sites across Africa

BACKGROUND

Usefulness of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as first-line therapy for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy throughout sub-Saharan Africa is compromised by the spread of dhfr alleles associated with pyrimethamine resistance. A predominant haplotype associated with the N51I+C59R+S108N triple-mutant dhfr allele has been reported recently in 4 African countries. A more comprehensive picture of the evolution of this mutant allele in Africa is lacking.

METHODS

Seventy-five P. falciparum isolates carrying the wild-type dhfr allele and 204 carrying the triple-mutant dhfr allele from 11 African countries were selected. The genetic diversity of the chromosomes bearing these alleles was analyzed with 4 microsatellite markers closely linked to the dhfr gene.

RESULTS

Seventy-three different 4-locus haplotypes carrying the wild-type dhfr allele were found. By contrast, 175 (85%) of 204 isolates carrying the triple-mutant dhfr allele shared a unique haplotype, identical to the one identified in Thailand. For the remaining triple-mutant isolates and one isolate with the quadruple-mutant dhfr allele (N51I+C59R+S108N+I164L), haplotypes were closely related to the predominant haplotype by mutation or recombination.

CONCLUSIONS

Migration of parasites carrying an ancestral triple-mutant dhfr allele drives the spread of dhfr alleles associated with pyrimethamine resistance throughout West and Central Africa.

Short report: lack of prediction of amodiaquine efficacy in treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria by in vitro tests

Amodiaquine (AQ) is currently a major candidate for new antimalarial combinations, although in vivo and in vitro tests have been rarely simultaneously investigated. The efficacy of AQ was assessed at the dose of 30 mg/kg in treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria attacks in 74 children from southeast Gabon, and the in vitro activity of monodesethylamodiaquine (MdAQ), the main metabolite of AQ, was measured against P. falciparum parasites isolated from these children. Treatment failures were observed in 40.5% of the children, while 5.4% of the isolates showed in vitro resistance to MdAQ. No relationship was observed between in vivo and in vitro susceptibility. The in vitro activities of MdAQ and chloroquine were correlated. The reasons for such disparities between in vivo and in vitro AQ activities are discussed and the issue of the validity of in vitro tests to measure AQ efficacy is raised.

Plasmodium DNA contamination between blood smears during Giemsa staining and microscopic examination

Giemsa-stained blood smears are mainly used for microscopic examination to diagnose malaria. However, they may also be subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm diagnosis or for retrospective studies requiring the analysis of old smears. We investigated the possibility of DNA contamination occurring during automated Giemsa staining or due to the failure to clean the oil-immersion objective during microscopic examination. We tested blood smears from uninfected, Plasmodium vivax-infected, and P. falciparum-infected patients. DNA contamination was observed after both staining and microscopy, although contamination was unpredictable during staining. These results are of utmost importance when smears are used for PCR.