This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lensen, A. H. Articles by Sauerwein, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lensen, A. H. Articles by Sauerwein, R. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect. Immun., 09 1997, 3834-3837, Vol 65, No. 9
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Leukocytes in a Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood meal reduce transmission of malaria to Anopheles mosquitoes

AH Lensen, M Bolmer-Van de Vegte, GJ van Gemert, WM Eling and RW Sauerwein
Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Nijmegen, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Mosquitoes are infected with Plasmodium falciparum by taking a blood meal from a gametocyte carrier. Since a mosquito takes a volume of 1 to 2 microl, a blood meal may contain 1 x 10(4) to 3 x 10(4) leukocytes (WBC). The majority of WBC are composed of neutrophils which may phagocytose and kill developing gametes inside the mosquito midgut. Phagocytosis was measured in vitro by a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) assay. In the presence of P. falciparum gametes, sera from areas of endemicity had an increased CL response compared to controls. In mosquito membrane feeding experiments some such sera showed a transmission reduction which was related to the presence of viable WBC. The results of this study suggest that phagocytosis of opsonized gametes inside the mosquito midgut occurs and can contribute to a reduction in the transmission of P. falciparum parasites.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• BHARTI, A. R., CHUQUIYAURI, R., BROUWER, K. C., STANCIL, J., LIN, J., LLANOS-CUENTAS, A., VINETZ, J. M. (2006). Experimental infection of the neotropical malaria vector anopheles darlingi by human patient-derived Plasmodium vivax in the peruvian Amazon.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 75: 610-616 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Foy, B. D., Magalhaes, T., Injera, W. E., Sutherland, I., Devenport, M., Thanawastien, A., Ripley, D., Cardenas-Freytag, L., Beier, J. C. (2003). Induction of Mosquitocidal Activity in Mice Immunized with Anopheles gambiae Midgut cDNA. Infect. Immun. 71: 2032-2040 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Smith, T. G., Serghides, L., Patel, S. N., Febbraio, M., Silverstein, R. L., Kain, K. C. (2003). CD36-Mediated Nonopsonic Phagocytosis of Erythrocytes Infected with Stage I and IIA Gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum. Infect. Immun. 71: 393-400 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Margos, G., Navarette, S., Butcher, G., Davies, A., Willers, C., Sinden, R. E., Lachmann, P. J. (2001). Interaction between Host Complement and Mosquito-Midgut-Stage Plasmodium berghei. Infect. Immun. 69: 5064-5071 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Healer, J., Graszynski, A., Riley, E. (1999). Phagocytosis Does Not Play a Major Role in Naturally Acquired Transmission-Blocking Immunity to Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Infect. Immun. 67: 2334-2339 [Abstract] [Full Text]