human body's defences against malaria

Dr.Barai

People residing in malaria-endemic regions acquire immunity to malaria through natural exposure to malaria parasites. Inherited conditions such as sickle cell anaemia and beta-thalassaemia, which cause deformities in red blood cells and are common in people from malarious regions, make it more difficult for malaria parasites to infect red blood cells. Children living in areas of stable malaria transmission become infected early in life, and experience more severe disease symptoms during the first five years of life. But as immunity develops the disease becomes less severe and the number of parasites circulating in the blood declines. The acquired immune response to malaria is strain specific and is lost if a person moves away from a malaria endemic area.
Following infection with Plasmodium parasites, the immune system responds in a number of ways as it attempts to clear the parasite. Antibodies against schizont (a stage in the development cycle of malaria parasite) and merozoite(a stage in the development cycle of malaria parasite) antigens bind to infected red blood cells and to merozoites, and make them easier for macrophages and other immune cells to ingest. Antibodies also help other immune mediators, called complement proteins, to destroy parasites and they prevent merozoites infecting new red blood cells.
Macrophages, which have taken up Plasmodium, express parasite antigens on their surface, and other immune cells called T cells recognize these antigens and bind to them. The T cells become activated and release molecules called cytokines that promote further cell activation, parasite killing and antibody production.
The body's response to malaria parasites causes some of the disease symptoms. For example, malaria fever is associated with high levels of a molecule called tumor necrosis factor. This cytokine is released by macrophages when infected red blood cells rupture, and large numbers of parasites enter the blood stream.

goangoangone

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GoanGoan......here

dhans

What's the message?

be born in India? Survive the first ten years and then your immune??

I agree with goan, it's friday night and time for

Hans

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abracax

You forgot to mention the 30% of people who die from malarial infection before these wonderful adaptations kick in - which they seldom do in places with a high reinfection rate.

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