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Paucity of Plasmodium vivax mature schizonts in peripheral blood is associated with their increased cytoadhesive

Stefanie C P Lopes1, Letusa Albrecht, Bruna O Carvalho

  • 1Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|January 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Plasmodium vivax-infected erythrocytes (Pv-iE) show increased binding potential in schizont stages, challenging previous views on sequestration. This finding suggests a new paradigm in understanding P. vivax malaria pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Malariology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The sequestration of Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes (iE) in capillaries is a key mechanism in malaria pathogenesis.
  • Current understanding suggests Plasmodium vivax-infected erythrocytes (Pv-iE) do not sequester, differentiating it from other Plasmodium species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the adhesive properties of Pv-iE across different asexual developmental stages.
  • To determine if Pv-iE exhibit sequestration potential, challenging the established paradigm.

Main Methods:

  • Ex vivo adhesion assays were performed using Pv-iE at various maturation stages.
  • Patient isolates from 50 vivax malaria cases were analyzed for the presence and abundance of schizonts.

Main Results:

  • Pv-iE demonstrated significantly higher binding potential in the schizont stage compared to other asexual stages.
  • Schizonts were completely absent in 27 out of 50 patient isolates, and present in low numbers in the remainder.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides evidence for sequestration potential in mature Pv-iE, particularly schizonts.
  • These findings necessitate a re-evaluation of P. vivax biology and the role of infected erythrocyte sequestration in disease.
Keywords:
Plasmodium vivaxcytoadhesiondisproportionalitymalariaschizontssequestration

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