Human host-derived cytokines associated with Plasmodium vivax transmission from acute malaria patients to Anopheles darlingi mosquitoes in the Peruvian Amazon

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Jun;88(6):1130-7. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0752. Epub 2013 Mar 11.

Abstract

Infection of mosquitoes by humans is not always successful in the setting of patent gametocytemia. This study tested the hypothesis that pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines are associated with transmission of Plasmodium vivax to Anopheles darlingi mosquitoes in experimental infection. Blood from adults with acute, non-severe P. vivax malaria was fed to laboratory-reared F1 An. darlingi mosquitoes. A panel of cytokines at the time of mosquito infection was assessed in patient sera and levels compared among subjects who did and did not infect mosquitoes. Overall, blood from 43 of 99 (43%) subjects led to mosquito infection as shown by oocyst counts. Levels of IL-10, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were significantly elevated in vivax infection and normalized 3 weeks later. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly higher in nontransmitters compared with top transmitters but was not in TNF-α and IFN-γ. The IL-10 elevation during acute malaria was associated with P. vivax transmission blocking.

Publication types

  • Research Support, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Anopheles / parasitology*
  • Cytokines / blood*
  • Female
  • Host-Parasite Interactions*
  • Humans
  • Insect Vectors*
  • Interferon-gamma / blood
  • Interleukin-10 / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Malaria / transmission
  • Malaria, Vivax / transmission*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parasitemia / transmission
  • Peru
  • Plasmodium vivax / isolation & purification*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / blood
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interferon-gamma

Supplementary concepts

  • Acute malaria