Characterization of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets in Patients with AcutePlasmodium falciparumandP. vivaxMalaria Infections at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia

Abstract

We investigated the absolute counts of CD4 ؉ , CD8 ؉ , B, NK, and CD3؉ cells and total lymphocytes in patients with acute Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria. Three-color flow cytometry was used for enumerating the immune cells. After slide smears were stained with 3% Giemsa stain, parasite species were detected using light microscopy. Data were analyzed using STATA and SPSS software. A total of 204 adults of both sexes (age, >15 years) were included in the study. One hundred fifty-eight were acute malaria patients, of whom 79 (50%) were infected with P. falciparum, 76 (48.1%) were infected with P. vivax, and 3 (1.9%) were infected with both malaria parasites. The remaining 46 subjects were healthy controls. The leukocyte count in P. falciparum patients was lower than that in controls (P ‫؍‬ 0.015). Absolute counts of CD4 ؉ , CD8 ؉ , B, and CD3؉ cells and total lymphocytes were decreased very significantly during both P. falciparum (P < 0.0001) and P. vivax (P < 0.0001) infections. However, the NK cell count was an exception in that it was not affected by either P. falciparum or P. vivax malaria. No difference was found in the percentages of CD4, CD8, and CD3 cells in P. falciparum or P. vivax patients compared to controls. In summary, acute malaria infection causes a depletion of lymphocyte populations in the peripheral blood. Thus, special steps should be taken in dealing with malaria patients, including enumeration of peripheral lymphocyte cells for diagnostic purposes and research on peripheral blood to evaluate the immune status of patients.

Immune responses during gestational malaria: a review of the current knowledge and future trend of research

“…Nevertheless, cell-mediated response seems unaffected as evidenced in studies during the convalescent period in P. vivax-infected hosts, thus confirming a T cell-specific response, which was also reactive to P. falciparum antigens [104,107].…”

Enhanced T cell activation in Plasmodium falciparum malaria-infected human immunodeficiency virus-1 patients from Mozambique

“…Depletion of CD4 + T cells is a common consequence of HIV-1 infection (Grossman et al 2002). However, acute malaria only also reduces the number CD4 + T lymphocytes (Chougnet et al 1992, Kassa et al 2006. Among the patients evaluated in this study, the lowest CD4 + T values were observed in the co-infected patients.…”

“…These results suggest a heightened degree of immunosuppression in malaria-associated HIV-1/AIDS. Interestingly, this reduction in CD4 + T cells is transient and the levels of these cells increase after successful antimalarial therapy, although the number of CD4 + T cells does not reach the previous counts (Kassa et al 2006, Van Geertruyden et al 2006a. Therefore, each episode of acute malaria causes an excess decrease in the CD4 + T cell numbers (Mermim et al 2006), which aggravates the immunosuppressed state.…”

Modulation of apoptosis against P. falciparum by low dose radiation in human PBMCs

“…The correlation between micronuclei frequency and apoptosis has been reported as directly proportional; i.e., under conditions of reduced apoptosis, micronucleus formation was also reduced [4]. Induction of apoptosis has been observed during P. falciparum infection in human lymphocytes, endothelial cells, hepatocytes and neurons [10][11][12]. It may also be the cause of lymphopaenia which occurs in the course of malaria because acute malaria infection causes a depletion of lymphocyte populations in the peripheral blood [13,4].…”