Thymic alterations in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Cell Immunol. 2008 May-Jun;253(1-2):1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2008.06.001. Epub 2008 Jul 16.

Abstract

The primary function of the thymus is to develop immature T-cells into cells that further in the periphery will be able to carry out immune functions. The Literature has shown that thymus can be a target for many pathogens and severe structural alterations take place in this organ during infectious diseases. Here, we investigated if thymus is also a target organ during experimental malaria infection by analyzing the presence of parasites inside the organ and histological alterations in thymuses from Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected BALB/c. After 14 days of infection, parasites were found inside the thymus that presented a profound atrophy with total loss of its architecture. We propose that the presence of parasites in the thymus induces histological modifications that alter the microenvironment, impairing by consequence the successful T cell development. Additional studies are currently being developed in our laboratory to verify if such thymic alterations can influence the systemic immune response to the parasite.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Malaria* / immunology
  • Malaria* / parasitology
  • Malaria* / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Plasmodium berghei / genetics
  • Plasmodium berghei / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / physiology
  • Thymus Gland* / immunology
  • Thymus Gland* / parasitology
  • Thymus Gland* / pathology