Cutting edge: The acquisition of TLR tolerance during malaria infection impacts T cell activation

An effective immune response to infection requires control of pathogen growth while minimizing inflammation-associated pathology. During malaria infection, this halance is particularly important. Murine malaria is characterized by early production of proinflammatory cytokines, which declines in the face of continuing parasitemia. The mechanism by which this occurs remains poorly understood. In this study we investigated the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in regulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses. As malaria infection progresses, DCs become reftactory to M-mediated IL-12 and TNF-alpha production, while increasing their ability to produce IL-10 and retaining the capacity for activation Of naive T cells. IL-12-secreting DCs from early infection stimulate an IFN-gamma-dominated T cell response, whereas IL-10-secreting DCs from later stages induce an IL-10-dominated T cell response. We suggest that pheno-typic changes in DCs during Plasmodium yoelii infection represent a mechanism of controlling host inflammation while maintaining effective adaptive immunity.