@Article{,
AUTHOR = {Michael Ramharter, Heidi Winkler, Peter G. Kremsner, Ayola A. Adegnika, Martin Willheim, Stefan Winkler},
TITLE = {Age-dependency of <i>Plasmodium falciparum<i>-specific and non-specific T cell cytokine responses in individuals from a malaria-endemic area},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {16},
YEAR = {2005},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {135--143},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v16n2/66226},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {In areas where Plasmodium falciparum malaria is highly endemic, naturally acquired immunity
develops slowly with increasing age. The mechanisms that lead to this protective immunity against P. falciparum
are under intense investigation, as they might serve as models for the development of an efficient vaccine. In this
study, we aimed to investigate the potential contribution of cell-mediated immune responses to the build-up of
anti-malarial immunity by comparing the phenotypes and frequencies of both P. falciparum-specific and
non-specific, cytokine-expressing T cells in a cross-sectional study of healthy children and adults, living in a
malaria-endemic area in Central Africa. An increased capacity of CD3<sup>+</sup> cells to produce interferon (IFN)-c and
tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and of the TCRγδ<sup>+</sup> subset to produce TNF-α was seen in adults after stimulation
of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with a late-stage, schizont-rich, parasite preparation. Mitogenic
stimulation with PMA and ionomycin induced much higher frequencies of IFN-γ- and TNF-α- expressing CD4<sup>+</sup>
,
CD8<sup>+</sup> as well as TCRγδ<sup>+</sup> cells in adults, while differences for interleukin (IL)-2 expression were restricted to CD4+
and CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells. For IL-10, neither specific nor non-specific stimulations of PBMC were associated with
significant age-dependent alterations. Impressive increases in the capacity to produce P. falciparum-specific and
non-specific IFN-γ and TNF-α appear to be the main cellular correlates of naturally acquired immunity in Central
Africa.},
DOI = {}
}