Plasmodium falciparum merozoites primarily stimulate the Vγ9 subset of human γ/δ T cells

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Abstract
Peripheral blood‐derived T cells from six unprimed caucasian donors were tested for the in vitro reactivity to Plasmodium falciparum merozoites (PFM). Without exception vigorous proliferative responses were observed within the donors tested. The frequency of PFM‐reactive T cells ranged from 1/150–1/300. Phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured in the presence of PFM revealed the preferential outgrowth of γ/δ T cells, which represented within 7 days about 70% of the reactive T cell blasts. All reactive γ/δ T cell blasts displayed the Vγ9+ TcR phenotype. We conclude that human γ/δ T cells respond vigorously to PFM, and that this property is confined to Vγ9+ T cell subset.