Immunoregulation in human malaria: the challenge of understanding asymptomatic infection
AUTOR(ES)
Mendonça, Vitor R de, Barral-Netto, Manoel
FONTE
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO
11/12/2015
RESUMO
Asymptomatic Plasmodium infection carriers represent a major threat to malaria control worldwide as they are silent natural reservoirs and do not seek medical care. There are no standard criteria for asymptomaticPlasmodium infection; therefore, its diagnosis relies on the presence of the parasite during a specific period of symptomless infection. The antiparasitic immune response can result in reducedPlasmodium sp. load with control of disease manifestations, which leads to asymptomatic infection. Both the innate and adaptive immune responses seem to play major roles in asymptomatic Plasmodiuminfection; T regulatory cell activity (through the production of interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β) and B-cells (with a broad antibody response) both play prominent roles. Furthermore, molecules involved in the haem detoxification pathway (such as haptoglobin and haeme oxygenase-1) and iron metabolism (ferritin and activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase) have emerged in recent years as potential biomarkers and thus are helping to unravel the immune response underlying asymptomatic Plasmodium infection. The acquisition of large data sets and the use of robust statistical tools, including network analysis, associated with well-designed malaria studies will likely help elucidate the immune mechanisms responsible for asymptomatic infection.
Documentos Relacionados
- A new challenge for malaria control in Brazil: asymptomatic Plasmodium infection - a review
- Monitoring Malaria: Genomic Activity of the Parasite in Human Blood Cells
- Roll Back Malaria: a failing global health challenge: Options for malaria control need to be weighed
- Host defenses in murine malaria: evaluation of the mechanisms of immunity to Plasmodium yoelii infection.
- Thrombocytopenia in malaria: who cares?