Sm. Macdonald et al., Immune mimicry in malaria: Plasmodium falciparum secretes a functional histamine-releasing factor homolog in vitro and in vivo, P NAS US, 98(19), 2001, pp. 10829-10832
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Plasmodium falciparum translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) i
s a homolog of the mammalian histamine-releasing factor (HRF), which causes
histamine release from human basophils and IL-8 secretion from eosinophils
. Histamine, IL-8, and eosinophils have been reported to be elevated in pat
ients with malaria. This study was undertaken to determine whether malarial
TCTP is found in the plasma of malaria-infected patients and to determine
whether it has HRF biologic activity. Malarial TCTP was found in lightly in
fected human volunteers and in heavily infected Malawian children, but not
in uninfected patients. Recombinant malarial TCTP, like HRF, stimulated his
tamine release from basophils and IL-8 secretion from eosinophils in vitro.
Whereas malarial TCTP was less active than HRF, the concentrations that we
re effective in vitro could be achievable in vivo. These data suggest that
malarial TCTP, present in human plasma during a malarial illness, may affec
t host immune responses in vivo.