The inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum growth in vitro by sera from mice infected with malaria or treated with TNF.

Despite some years of enquiry, the mechanism that leads to intra-erythrocytic death of malarial parasites during the host's response to infection has not been elucidated. We report here that serum from mice undergoing a successful immune response to Plasmodium chabaudi does not inhibit Plasmodium falciparum unless the Pl. chabaudi is virulent enough to rise to at least 50% parasitaemia and to cause illness. This appears to be true of the 556 KA and DS strains of Pl. chabaudi, and also other murine malaria parasites. In mice infected with Pl. chabaudi 556 KA inhibitory activity coincided with the presence of TNF in their serum. Exogenous TNF generated inhibitory activity in the serum of mice only if the animals were pretreated with Proprionobacterium acnes, implying a role for activated macrophages downstream from TNF in this process. The difference in inhibitory activity against Pl. falciparum in serum from mice infected with Pl. chabaudi of more or less virulence may be one of degree. Alternatively two distinct mechanisms may operate, the second coming into operation only in ill mice, with higher parasite burdens.