Related Experiment Videos
Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro by human gamma delta T cells
M M Elloso1, H C van der Heyde, J A vande Waa
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
Abstract:
As assessed by flow cytometry, human gamma delta T cells were shown here to inhibit replication of blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum in vitro in a dose-dependent fashion; no other leukocyte population tested was suppressive. Replication of intraerythrocytic stages of the parasite (rings, trophozoites, and schizonts) was not affected by coculture with gamma delta T cells nor were erythrocytes damaged by this coculture, indicating that the targets recognized by gamma delta T cells are extracellular merozoites in transit to new host erythrocytes. Moreover, parasite inhibition requires contact between gamma delta T cells and merozoites. These findings suggest that gamma delta T cells may exert a protective effect in immunity to malaria.