The Effect of HIV Infection on Malaria Specific T and B Cell Responses

描述（由申请人提供）：艾滋病毒感染已被证明会增加对疟疾感染和疾病的易感性，但这一观察结果背后的机制尚不清楚。目前的证据表明，艾滋病毒感染者中疟疾易感性的增加，部分原因可能是免疫系统产生和维持针对疟疾的抗体的能力存在缺陷。这些证据包括大量文献支持抗体在预防疟疾方面的关键作用，以及对HIV感染如何影响免疫系统产生有效抗体反应能力的日益了解。具体目的：1)确定hiv阳性和hiv阴性个体对多种疟疾蛋白的抗体反应性；2)确定不同类型的频率

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): HIV infection has been demonstrated to increase vulnerability to malaria infection and disease, but the mechanisms behind this observation are not understood. Current evidence suggests that increased malaria vulnerability among individuals with HIV infection may be due in part to a defect in the immune system's ability to create and maintain antibodies that target malaria. This evidence includes a robust body of literature supporting the critical role of antibodies in protection from malaria and an increasing understanding of how HIV infection affects the immune systems ability to mount effective antibody responses. Specific Aims: 1) Determine antibody reactivity of HIV-positive versus HIV-negative individuals to multiple malaria proteins; 2) Determine the frequency of different types of B-cells that specifically target malaria. B cells are the immune cells responsible for antibody production, and different types of B cells have differing abilities to produce effective antibody responses. Study Design: For this study, blood will be collected from HIV infected and uninfected persons living in a malaria endemic region in Kenya. Antibody responses that target malaria and B cell numbers and types that target malaria will be measured in these blood samples and these responses will be compared between HIV infected and uninfected study participants. Potential Impact: This project will for the first time characterize malaria-specific -cell responses in HIV-positive individuals. It will assist in determining if this population should receive targeted malaria interventions and will help devise evidence-based strategies for malaria vaccine design and HIV treatment for HIV-positive individuals.