Plasmodium vivax Infection Impairs Regulatory T-Cell Suppressive Function During Acute Malaria

A systematic analysis of the human immune response to Plasmodium vivax

BACKGROUNDThe biology of Plasmodium vivax is markedly different from that of P. falciparum; how this shapes the immune response to infection remains unclear. To address this shortfall, we inoculated human volunteers with a clonal field isolate of P. vivax and tracked their response through infection and convalescence.METHODSParticipants were injected intravenously with blood-stage parasites and infection dynamics were tracked in real time by quantitative PCR. Whole blood samples were used for high dimensional protein analysis, RNA sequencing, and cytometry by time of flight, and temporal changes in the host response to P. vivax were quantified by linear regression. Comparative analyses with P. falciparum were then undertaken using analogous data sets derived from prior controlled human malaria infection studies.RESULTSP. vivax rapidly induced a type I inflammatory response that coincided with hallmark features of clinical malaria. This acute-phase response shared remarkable overlap with that induced by P. falciparum but was significantly elevated (at RNA and protein levels), leading to an increased incidence of pyrexia. In contrast, T cell activation and terminal differentiation were significantly increased in volunteers infected with P. falciparum. Heterogeneous CD4+ T cells were found to dominate this adaptive response and phenotypic analysis revealed unexpected features normally associated with cytotoxicity and autoinflammatory disease.CONCLUSIONP. vivax triggers increased systemic interferon signaling (cf P. falciparum), which likely explains its reduced pyrogenic threshold. In contrast, P. falciparum drives T cell activation far in excess of P. vivax, which may partially explain why falciparum malaria more frequently causes severe disease.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT03797989.FUNDINGThe European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, the Wellcome Trust, and the Royal Society.

Regulatory T cells in parasite infections: susceptibility, specificity and specialisation

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential to control immune system responses to innocuous self-specificities, intestinal and environmental antigens. However, they may also interfere with immunity to parasites, particularly in chronic infection. Susceptibility to many parasite infections is, to a greater or lesser extent, controlled by Tregs, but often they play a more prominent role in moderating the immunopathological consequences of parasitism, and dampening bystander reactions in an antigen-nonspecific manner. More recently, Treg subtypes have been defined which may preferentially act in different contexts; we also discuss the degree to which this specialisation is now being mapped onto how Tregs maintain the delicate balance between tolerance, immunity, and pathology in infection.

Recent Advances in Understanding the Inflammatory Response in Malaria: A Review of the Dual Role of Cytokines

Malaria is a serious and, in some unfortunate cases, fatal disease caused by a parasite of the Plasmodium genus. It predominantly occurs in tropical areas where it is transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. The pathogenesis of malaria is complex and incompletely elucidated. During blood-stage infection, in response to the presence of the parasite, the host's immune system produces proinflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNF, cytokines which play a pivotal role in controlling the growth of the parasite and its elimination. Regulatory cytokines such as transforming growth factor- (TGF-) β and IL-10 maintain the balance between the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. However, in many cases, cytokines have a double role. On the one hand, they contribute to parasitic clearance, and on the other, they are responsible for pathological changes encountered in malaria. Cytokine-modulating strategies may represent a promising modern approach in disease management. In this review, we discuss the host immune response in malaria, analyzing the latest studies on the roles of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Coexpression of Helios in Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells and Its Role in Human Disease

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the Foxp3 transcription factor are indispensable for the maintenance of immune system homeostasis. Tregs may lose Foxp3 expression or be reprogrammed into cells that produce proinflammatory cytokines, for example, Th1-like Tregs, Th2-like Tregs, Th17-like Tregs, and Tfh-like Tregs. Accordingly, selective therapeutic molecules that manipulate Treg lineage stability and/or functional activity might have the potential to improve aberrant immune responses in human disorders. In particular, the transcription factor Helios has emerged as an important marker and modulator of Tregs. Therefore, the current review focuses on recent findings on the expression, function, and mechanisms of Helios, as well as the patterns of Foxp3⁺ Tregs coexpressing Helios in various human disorders, in order to explore the potential of Helios for the improvement of many immune-related diseases. The studies were selected from PubMed using the library of the Nanjing Medical University in this review. The findings of the included studies indicate that Helios expression stabilizes the phenotype and function of Foxp3⁺ Tregs in certain inflammatory environments. Further, Tregs coexpressing Helios and Foxp3 were identified as a specific phenotype of stronger suppressor immune cells in both humans and animal models. Importantly, there is ample evidence that Helios-expressing Foxp3⁺ Tregs are relevant to various human disorders, including connective tissue diseases, infectious diseases, solid organ transplantation-related immunity, and cancer. Thus, Helios⁺Foxp3⁺CD4⁺ Tregs could be a valuable target in human diseases, and their potential should be explored further in the clinical setting.

Kynurenine elevation correlates with T regulatory cells increase in acute Plasmodium vivax infection: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Disease-tolerance mechanisms limit infection severity by preventing tissue damage; however, the underlying mechanisms in human malaria are still unclear. Tryptophan (TRP), an essential amino acid, is catabolized into tolerogenic metabolites, kynurenines (KYN), by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which can induce Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). In this study, we evaluated the relationship of these metabolites with Treg-mediated tolerance induction in acute malaria infections.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study that evaluated asymptomatic, symptomatic malaria patients and endemic control patient groups. We assessed plasmatic concentration of cytokines by ELISA. Plasmatic TRP and KYN levels were measured by HPLC. Peripheral T regulatory cells were measured and phenotyped by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The KYN/TRP ratio was significantly elevated in asymptomatic and symptomatic Plasmodium infection, compared to healthy controls. Also, Th1 and Th2 cytokines were elevated in the acute phase of malaria disease. IFN-γ increase in acute phase was positively correlated with the KYN/TRP ratio and KYN elevation was positively correlated with the increase of peripheral FoxP3+ T regulatory cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional studies are needed not only to identify innate mechanisms that increase tryptophan catabolism but also the role of Tregs in controlling malaria-induced pathology and malaria tolerance by the host.

The immunology of Plasmodium vivax malaria

Plasmodium vivax infection, the predominant cause of malaria in Asia and Latin America, affects ~14 million individuals annually, with considerable adverse effects on wellbeing and socioeconomic development. A clinical hallmark of Plasmodium infection, the paroxysm, is driven by pyrogenic cytokines produced during the immune response. Here, we review studies on the role of specific immune cell types, cognate innate immune receptors, and inflammatory cytokines on parasite control and disease symptoms. This review also summarizes studies on recurrent infections in individuals living in endemic regions as well as asymptomatic infections, a serious barrier to eliminating this disease. We propose potential mechanisms behind these repeated and subclinical infections, such as poor induction of immunological memory cells and inefficient T effector cells. We address the role of antibody-mediated resistance to P. vivax infection and discuss current progress in vaccine development. Finally, we review immunoregulatory mechanisms, such as inhibitory receptors, T regulatory cells, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, that antagonizes both innate and acquired immune responses, interfering with the development of protective immunity and parasite clearance. These studies provide new insights for the clinical management of symptomatic as well as asymptomatic individuals and the development of an efficacious vaccine for vivax malaria.

Plasmodium chabaudi AS Infection Induces CD4+ Th1 Cells and Foxp3+T-bet+ Regulatory T Cells That Express CXCR3 and Migrate to CXCR3 Ligands

Control and elimination of blood-stage Plasmodium chabaudi AS infection requires CD4⁺ Th1 cells that secrete IFN-γ and T follicular help (Tfh) cells together with B cell production of antibody. Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are also crucial to protect the host from immunopathology and severe disease, but these cells can suppress protective immune responses to malaria. The chemokine receptor CXCR3 expressed by activated T cells is important for trafficking of CD4⁺ Th1 cells to sites of inflammation and infection. Previous studies demonstrated CXCR3 is expressed on CD4⁺ T cells in the spleen during malaria, but the phenotype was not defined. We identified the phenotype of CD4⁺ T cells that expressed CXCR3 in C57BL/6 (B6) mice during acute P. chabaudi AS infection by analyzing expression of the transcription factors T-bet and Foxp3. We also investigated if CXCR3 contributes to control of parasite replication and survival. The frequency and number of CD4⁺CXCR3⁺ T cells increased dramatically in the spleen of infected B6 mice coincident with increased CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ T cells. CXCR3 was up-regulated on effector CD4⁺Foxp3⁻ T cells as well as Foxp3⁺ Tregs. Consistent with our previous observations, CD4⁺T-bet⁺Foxp3⁻ T cells increased in B6 mice during acute infection. T-bet⁺Foxp3⁺ Tregs also increased significantly and a high frequency of these cells expressed CXCR3 supporting the notion that these cells may be Th1-like Tregs. Despite this, the percentage of CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ Tregs from infected B6 mice that migrated in vitro to the CXCR3 ligands CXCL9 and CXCL10 was significantly less than naïve mice. To investigate the in vivo contribution of CXCR3 to control of acute blood-stage malaria, we compared the course and outcome of P. chabaudi AS infection in wild-type (WT) B6 and CXCR3-deficient mice. Parasitemia levels were significantly higher around the time of peak parasitemia in CXCR3^−/− compared to WT mice but survival was similar suggesting a role for CXCR3 in controlling parasite replication during acute P. chabaudi AS infection. Together, our findings indicate Th1-like CD4⁺T-bet⁺Foxp3⁺ Tregs that express CXCR3 are induced during acute blood-stage malaria and suggest CXCR3 expression on CD4⁺ Th1 cells may contribute to their migration to the spleen.