Response of sensitized and unsensitized human lymphocyte subpopulations to Plasmodium falciparum antigens

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Antigen [Ag] preparations derived from P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (but not from uninfected erythrocytes) can stimulate the in vitro proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from malaria-sensitized and nonsensitized donors. The non-specific responses might be due to a parasite-derived B [bone marrow-derived] cell mitogen since polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia is a frequent accompaniment of malaria infection. The in vitro proliferative responses of purified T [thymus-derived] and B cell populations to malaria Ag was investigated. T but not B cells responded to the Ag. The addition of small numbers of T cells restored the ability of purified B cells to respond to lectin mitogens but not to malaria Ag. Falciparum malaria infection was associated with an increase in T cell but not in B cell proliferation in vivo, as assessed by the spontaneous 3H-thymidine incorporation of lymphocytes during a brief incubation in vitro. Extracts of malaria parasites may not contain a B cell mitogen but are antigenic and mitogenic for T cells.