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Timing of in utero malaria exposure influences fetal CD4 T cell regulatory versus effector differentiation

Overview of attention for article published in Malaria Journal, October 2016
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Title
Timing of in utero malaria exposure influences fetal CD4 T cell regulatory versus effector differentiation
Published in
Malaria Journal, October 2016
DOI 10.1186/s12936-016-1545-6
Pubmed ID
Authors

Mary Prahl, Prasanna Jagannathan, Tara I. McIntyre, Ann Auma, Lila Farrington, Samuel Wamala, Mayimuna Nalubega, Kenneth Musinguzi, Kate Naluwu, Esther Sikyoma, Rachel Budker, Hilary Vance, Pamela Odorizzi, Patience Nayebare, John Ategeka, Abel Kakuru, Diane V. Havlir, Moses R. Kamya, Grant Dorsey, Margaret E. Feeney

Abstract

In malaria-endemic areas, the first exposure to malaria antigens often occurs in utero when the fetal immune system is poised towards the development of tolerance. Children exposed to placental malaria have an increased risk of clinical malaria in the first few years of life compared to unexposed children. Recent work has suggested the potential of pregnancy-associated malaria to induce immune tolerance in children living in malaria-endemic areas. A study was completed to evaluate the effect of malaria exposure during pregnancy on fetal immune tolerance and effector responses. Using cord blood samples from a cohort of mother-infant pairs followed from early in pregnancy until delivery, flow cytometry analysis was completed to assess the relationship between pregnancy-associated malaria and fetal cord blood CD4 and dendritic cell phenotypes. Cord blood FoxP3(+) Treg counts were higher in infants born to mothers with Plasmodium parasitaemia early in pregnancy (12-20 weeks of gestation; p = 0.048), but there was no association between Treg counts and the presence of parasites in the placenta at the time of delivery (by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP); p = 0.810). In contrast, higher frequencies of activated CD4 T cells (CD25(+)FoxP3(-)CD127(+)) were observed in the cord blood of neonates with active placental Plasmodium infection at the time of delivery (p = 0.035). This population exhibited evidence of effector memory differentiation, suggesting priming of effector T cells in utero. Lastly, myeloid dendritic cells were higher in the cord blood of infants with histopathologic evidence of placental malaria (p < 0.0001). Together, these data indicate that in utero exposure to malaria drives expansion of both regulatory and effector T cells in the fetus, and that the timing of this exposure has a pivotal role in determining the polarization of the fetal immune response.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 53 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 1 2%
Unknown 52 98%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 9 17%
Student > Ph. D. Student 8 15%
Student > Bachelor 7 13%
Student > Postgraduate 6 11%
Researcher 6 11%
Other 8 15%
Unknown 9 17%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Immunology and Microbiology 14 26%
Medicine and Dentistry 13 25%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 6 11%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 4 8%
Nursing and Health Professions 2 4%
Other 2 4%
Unknown 12 23%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 26 October 2017.
All research outputs
#14,427,926
of 23,577,654 outputs
Outputs from Malaria Journal
#3,787
of 5,653 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#179,234
of 322,158 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Malaria Journal
#72
of 113 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,577,654 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 37th percentile – i.e., 37% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,653 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.8. This one is in the 29th percentile – i.e., 29% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 322,158 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 43rd percentile – i.e., 43% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 113 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 32nd percentile – i.e., 32% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.