@Article{,
AUTHOR = {Elie Mavoungou, Adrian J. F. Luty, Peter G. Kremsner},
TITLE = {Natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytolysis of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>-infected human red blood cells <i>in vitro</i>},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {14},
YEAR = {2003},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {134--142},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v14n3/66528},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {The ability of human NK cells to inhibit the growth in vitro of the asexual blood stages of
<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> was tested. Purified NK cells from donors with no prior exposure to malaria significantly
inhibited parasite growth after 48 hours of co-culture in the presence of human immune serum. This inhibition
was completely abrogated by pre-treatment of the NK cells with an anti-CD95 (anti-Fas) monoclonal antibody and
human Fas-Fc soluble protein. The level of growth inhibition was also substantially reduced by pre-treatment with
an anti-CD56 antibody. These two antibodies caused reductions, to varying levels, of the amounts of NK
cell-derived granzyme B (GrB) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, but only the anti-CD95 antibody affected the
production of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). Direct destruction of parasite-infected red cells by NK cells, in the
absence of serum, was also observed in a standard 51
Cr cytotoxicity test, during which N-carboxybenzoxy-L-lysine
thiobenzil ester (BLT esterase) activity, which catalyzes serine protease granule release, was detected. The results
obtained are indicative of a novel mechanism of NK cell-mediated cytotoxic activity against <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>-infected red cells, which is mediated in part by both Fas and by GrB.},
DOI = {}
}