Alterations on peripheral B cell subsets following an acute uncomplicated clinical malaria infection in children

<p<Abstract</p< <p<Background</p< <p<The effects of <it<Plasmodium falciparum </it<on B-cell homeostasis have not been well characterized. This study investigated whether an episode of acute malaria in young children results in changes in the peripheral B ce...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

<p<Abstract</p< <p<Background</p< <p<The effects of <it<Plasmodium falciparum </it<on B-cell homeostasis have not been well characterized. This study investigated whether an episode of acute malaria in young children results in changes in the peripheral B cell phenotype.</p< <p<Methods</p< <p<Using flow-cytofluorimetric analysis, the B cell phenotypes found in the peripheral blood of children aged 2–5 years were characterized during an episode of acute uncomplicated clinical malaria and four weeks post-recovery and in healthy age-matched controls.</p< <p<Results</p< <p<There was a significant decrease in CD19<sup<+ </sup<B lymphocytes during acute malaria. Characterization of the CD19<sup<+ </sup<B cell subsets in the peripheral blood based on expression of IgD and CD38 revealed a significant decrease in the numbers of naive 1 CD38<sup<-</sup<IgD<sup<+ </sup<B cells while there was an increase in CD38<sup<+</sup<IgD<sup<- </sup<memory 3 B cells during acute malaria. Further analysis of the peripheral B cell phenotype also identified an expansion of transitional CD10<sup<+</sup<CD19<sup<+ </sup<B cells in children following an episode of acute malaria with up to 25% of total CD19<sup<+ </sup<B cell pool residing in this subset.</p< <p<Conclusion</p< <p<Children experiencing an episode of acute uncomplicated clinical malaria experienced profound disturbances in B cell homeostasis.</p< Ausführliche Beschreibung