Reduced circulating dendritic cells in acute Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium falciparum malaria despite elevated plasma Flt3 ligand levels

JR Loughland; T Woodberry; D Oyong; KA Piera; FH Amante; BE Barber; MJ Grigg; T William; CR Engwerda; NM Anstey; JS McCarthy; MJ Boyle; G Minigo

Journal article

Reduced circulating dendritic cells in acute Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium falciparum malaria despite elevated plasma Flt3 ligand levels

JR Loughland, T Woodberry, D Oyong, KA Piera, FH Amante, BE Barber, MJ Grigg, T William, CR Engwerda, NM Anstey, JS McCarthy, MJ Boyle, G Minigo

Malaria Journal | BMC | Published : 2021

DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03642-0

Download PDF

Abstract

Background: Plasmodium falciparum malaria increases plasma levels of the cytokine Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L), a haematopoietic factor associated with dendritic cell (DC) expansion. It is unknown if the zoonotic parasite Plasmodium knowlesi impacts Flt3L or DC in human malaria. This study investigated circulating DC and Flt3L associations in adult malaria and in submicroscopic experimental infection. Methods: Plasma Flt3L concentration and blood CD141+ DC, CD1c+ DC and plasmacytoid DC (pDC) numbers were assessed in (i) volunteers experimentally infected with P. falciparum and in Malaysian patients with uncomplicated (ii) P. falciparum or (iii) P. knowlesi malaria. Results: Plas..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

James McCarthy Author

Related Projects (3)

Translational Studies in Malaria

The growing momentum towards elimination of malaria and the need to control of drug-resistant parasites means that new drugs and vaccines ar..

Tropical diseases: Translating discoveries into better health

Major progress being made in control of many infectious diseases occurring in tropical areas, including malaria worms and the bacteria that ..

UNDERSTANDING MALARIA IN THE HUMAN HOST

Malaria is one of the worlds most significant health problems and is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. We aim to unders..

Grants

Awarded by National Institutes of Health

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Program Grant 1132975 to NMA, JSM, CRE; Program Grants 1037304 and 1092789; Project Grants 1021198, 1045156, and 1125656; and Senior Principal Research Fellowship 1042072 to NMA, Practitioner Fellowship 1135955 to JSM, Senior Research Fellowship 1154265 to CRE, Early Career Fellowship 1138860 to MJG, Career Development Award 1141632 to MJB, and Postdoctoral Training Fellowship 545245 to GM. The clinical trials that enabled sample collection were funded by the Medicines for Malaria Venture. The Sabah malaria research program is supported by US National Institutes of Health (R01 AI116472-03). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.