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γ Interferon, CD8+ T cells and antibodies required for immunity to malaria sporozoites

Nature volume 330, pages 664–666 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that T-cell effector mechanisms are required for protective immunity to malaria sporozoites. Administration of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against γ interferon (γIFN) to immune hosts, reversed sterile immunity to sporozoite challenge, by allowing the growth of exoerythrocytic forms (EEF) and thus the development of parasitaemia. Immune animals also developed infections when depleted in vivo of their suppressor/cytotoxic T cells expressing the CD8 antigen (CD8+) but not when depleted of helper T cells expressing CD4 antigen (CD4+), before sporozoite challenge. Passive transfer of immune immunoglobin alone, or adoptive transfer of immune T cells alone, conferred partial protection to naive recipients. Transfer of both immune components resulted in significantly greater protection. This transferred immunity was reversed by the in vivo neutralization of γIFN. Thus, sterile immunity to sporozoite challenge requires the neutralization of sporozoites by antibodies and the inhibition of EEF development by γIFN with the participation of CD8+ cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Molecular Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA

    Louis Schofield, Jaime Villaquiran & Ruth Nussenzweig

  2. Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA

    Arturo Ferreira & Victor Nussenzweig

  3. Primate Center TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

    Huub Schellekens

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  1. Louis Schofield
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  2. Jaime Villaquiran
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Schofield, L., Villaquiran, J., Ferreira, A. et al. γ Interferon, CD8+ T cells and antibodies required for immunity to malaria sporozoites. Nature 330, 664–666 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330664a0

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