Schistosoma mansoni infection induces plasmablast and plasma cell death in the bone marrow and accelerates the decline of host vaccine responses

• Published in: PLoS pathogens Vol. 18; no. 2; p. e1010327
• Main Authors: Musaigwa, Fungai, Kamdem, Severin Donald, Mpotje, Thabo, Mosala, Paballo, Abdel Aziz, Nada, Herbert, De'Broski R, Brombacher, Frank, Nono, Justin Komguep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.02.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; Animals; Antibodies; Biology and Life Sciences; Bone Marrow; Cell Death; Chronic infection; Developing countries; Guardians; Immune response; Immunological memory; Immunoregulation; Infections; LDCs; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mice; Mortality; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Patient outcomes; Plasma; Plasma Cells; Praziquantel; Rodents; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Schools; Serology; Sustainability; Tropical diseases; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vaccines - therapeutic use; Viral vaccines; South Africa; Cameroon
• ISSN: 1553-7374; 1553-7366; 1553-7374
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010327

Schistosomiasis is a potentially lethal parasitic disease that profoundly impacts systemic immune function in chronically infected hosts through mechanisms that remain unknown. Given the immunoregulatory dysregulation experienced in infected individuals, this study examined the impact of chronic schistosomiasis on the sustainability of vaccine-induced immunity in both children living in endemic areas and experimental infections in mice. Data show that chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection impaired the persistence of vaccine specific antibody responses in poliovirus-vaccinated humans and mice. Mechanistically, schistosomiasis primarily fostered plasmablast and plasma cell death in the bone marrow and removal of parasites following praziquantel treatment reversed the observed cell death and partially restored vaccine-induced memory responses associated with increased serum anti-polio antibody responses. Our findings strongly suggest a previously unrecognized mechanism to explain how chronic schistosomiasis interferes with an otherwise effective vaccine regimen and further advocates for therapeutic intervention strategies that reduce schistosomiasis burden in endemic areas prior to vaccination.