The Plasma Concentration of the B Cell Activating Factor Is Increased in Children With Acute Malaria
Open Access
- 15 September 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 204 (6), 962-970
- https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jir438
Abstract
Malaria-specific antibody responses in children often appear to be short-lived but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and its receptors expressed on B cells with antibody responses during and after acute malaria in children. Our results demonstrate that BAFF plasma levels increased during acute malarial disease and reflected disease severity. The expression profiles for BAFF receptors on B cells agreed with rapid activation and differentiation of a proportion of B cells to plasma cells. However, BAFF receptor (BAFF-R) expression was reduced on all peripheral blood B cells during acute infection, but those children with the highest level of BAFF-R expression on B cells maintained schizont-specific immunoglobin G (IgG) over a period of 4 months, indicating that dysregulation of BAFF-R expression on B cells may contribute to short-lived antibody responses to malarial antigens in children. In summary, this study suggests a potential role for BAFF during malaria disease, both as a marker for disease severity and in shaping the differentiation pattern of antigen-specific B cells.Keywords
This publication has 54 references indexed in Scilit:
- Protein–DNA Complex Is the Exclusive Malaria Parasite Component That Activates Dendritic Cells and Triggers Innate Immune ResponsesThe Journal of Immunology, 2010
- Long-Lived Antibody and B Cell Memory Responses to the Human Malaria Parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivaxPLoS Pathogens, 2010
- Atypical Memory B Cells Are Greatly Expanded in Individuals Living in a Malaria-Endemic AreaThe Journal of Immunology, 2009
- BAFF: a local and systemic target in autoimmune diseasesClinical and Experimental Immunology, 2009
- Alterations on peripheral B cell subsets following an acute uncomplicated clinical malaria infection in childrenMalaria Journal, 2008
- The decline in paediatric malaria admissions on the coast of KenyaMalaria Journal, 2007
- Transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor enhances CD40-driven plasma cell differentiationJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2007
- Synthetic CpG oligodeoxynucleotides augment BAFF‐ and APRIL‐mediated immunoglobulin secretionEuropean Journal of Immunology, 2007
- Decreased B cell activating factor receptor expression on peripheral lymphocytes associated with increased disease activity in primary Sjogren's syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosusAnnals Of The Rheumatic Diseases, 2007
- DCs induce CD40-independent immunoglobulin class switching through BLyS and APRILNature Immunology, 2002