Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

Infect Immun 2018 Jun 21;86(7):e00899-17

TCRbeta combinatorial immunoreceptor expression by neutrophils correlates with parasite burden and enhanced phagocytosis during a Plasmodium berghei ANKA malaria infection.

Chorazeczewski JK, Aleshnick M, Majam V, Okoth WA, Kurapova R, Akue A, KuKuruga M, Kumar S, Oakley MS

Recent studies have demonstrated that a subpopulation of neutrophils express the TCRaß combinatorial immunoreceptor in humans and mice. Here, we report that a Plasmodium berghei ANKA murine malaria infection induces expansion of TCRß expressing CD11b+Ly6G+ neutrophils in the spleen during the early phase of infection. Measurement of TCRß transcript and protein levels of neutrophils in wildtype versus nude and Rag1 KO mice establishes that the observed expression is not a consequence of nonspecific antibody staining or passive receptor expression due to phagocytosis or trogocytosis of peripheral T cells. Remarkably, on day 3 post-infection, we observed a highly significant correlation between the proportion of neutrophils that express TCRß and peripheral blood parasite burden. In addition, TCRß+ neutrophils phagocytose parasitized erythrocytes with four fold greater efficiency than TCRß- neutrophils. Together these results signify that TCR expression by the neutrophil may play an important role in the regulation of parasite burden by enhancing the phagocytic capacity of the neutrophil.