Immunopathology of thrombocytopenia in experimental malaria

An early thrombocytopenia was observed in CBA mice during acute infection with Plasmodium berghei. This was associated with an increase in bone marrow megakaryocytes and a reduction of normal syngeneic 111Indium-labelled platelet life span. Malaria-induced thrombocytopenia was thus considered to be the result of increased peripheral platelet destruction rather than central hypoproduction. The occurrence of thrombocytopenia was modulated by T-cell depletion. Indeed, thymectomized, irradiated or anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody-treated mice failed to develop thrombocytopenia, although they were infected to the same extent. Conversely, a significant thrombocytopenia was observed in thymectomized mice reconstituted with CD4+ T cells. During the course of infection, a significant inverse correlation was found between platelet counts and platelet-associated IgG. Normal mice passively transferred with serum from syngeneic malaria-infected mice developed thrombocytopenia. The possibility to raise monoclonal anti-platelet antibodies from P. berghei-infected animals further suggested a role for an antibody-mediated platelet destruction during acute murine malaria infection. These results indicate that in murine malaria, thrombocytopenia is mediated by immune mechanisms and that CD4+ T cells might be significantly involved.