Type I Interferons Regulate Immune Responses in Humans with Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Infection

Marcela Montes de Oca, Rajiv Kumar, Fabian de Labastida Rivera, Fiona H. Amante, Meru Sheel, Rebecca J. Faleiro, Patrick T. Bunn, Shannon E. Best, Lynette Beattie, Susanna S. Ng, Chelsea L. Edwards, Glen M. Boyle, Ric N. Price, Nicholas M. Anstey, Jessica R. Loughland, Julie Burel, Denise L. Doolan, Ashraful Haque, James S. McCarthy, Christian R. Engwerda

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    19 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    The development of immunoregulatory networks is important to prevent disease. However, these same networks allow pathogens to persist and reduce vaccine efficacy. Here, we identify type I interferons (IFNs) as important regulators in developing anti-parasitic immunity in healthy volunteers infected for the first time with Plasmodium falciparum. Type I IFNs suppressed innate immune cell function and parasitic-specific CD4+ T cell IFNγ production, and they promoted the development of parasitic-specific IL-10-producing Th1 (Tr1) cells. Type I IFN-dependent, parasite-specific IL-10 production was also observed in P. falciparum malaria patients in the field following chemoprophylaxis. Parasite-induced IL-10 suppressed inflammatory cytokine production, and IL-10 levels after drug treatment were positively associated with parasite burdens before anti-parasitic drug administration. These findings have important implications for understanding the development of host immune responses following blood-stage P. falciparum infection, and they identify type I IFNs and related signaling pathways as potential targets for therapies or vaccine efficacy improvement.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)399-412
    Number of pages14
    JournalCell Reports
    Volume17
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 4 Oct 2016

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Type I Interferons Regulate Immune Responses in Humans with Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Infection'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this