HOST IMMUNE MODULATION DURING MALARIA PARASITES AND CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS COINFECTION IN EXPERIMENTAL MODELS

Abstract

CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER (CHIKF) AND MALARIA ARE PREVALENT ARTHROPOD-BORNE DISEASES THAT IMPOSE IMPORTANT CLINICAL BURDEN IN SEVERAL INTER-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THE SIMULTANEOUS PRESENCE OF CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS (CHIKV) AND PLASMODIUM CO-INFECTION IN PATIENTS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE ESTABLISHED A JOINT-INFLAMED CHIKV MURINE MODEL AND IDENTIFIED CD4+ T CELLS AS THE PRIMARY MEDIATOR OF CHIKV-INFLAMMATION. NEXT, WE SHOWED THAT ALTERED IMMUNE MODULATION DURING CONCURRENT CO-INFECTION OF CHIKV AND PLASMODIUM LED TO THE PROTECTION OF EXPERIMENTAL CEREBRAL MALARIA AND CHIKV-INDUCED INFLAMMATION. IN EARLY SEQUENTIAL CO-INFECTION, PRIOR ACUTE CHIKV INFECTION WAS FOUND TO AGGRAVATE PARASITEMIA, WHILE EXISTING ACUTE PLASMODIUM INFECTION INDUCED IFN¿ THAT SUPPRESSED THE CHIKV VIREMIA AND PATHOLOGY.