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Dielectric characterization of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells using microfluidic impedance cytometry.

ABSTRACT: Although malaria is the world's most life-threatening parasitic disease, there is no clear understanding of how certain biophysical properties of infected cells change during the malaria infection cycle. In this article, we use microfluidic impedance cytometry to measure the dielectric properties of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (i-RBCs) at specific time points during the infection cycle. Individual parasites were identified within i-RBCs using green fluorescent protein (GFP) emission. The dielectric properties of cell sub-populations were determined using the multi-shell model. Analysis showed that the membrane capacitance and cytoplasmic conductivity of i-RBCs increased along the infection time course, due to membrane alterations caused by parasite infection. The volume ratio occupied by the parasite was estimated to vary from less than 10% at earlier stages, to approximately 90% at later stages. This knowledge could be used to develop new label-free cell sorting techniques for sample pre-enrichment, improving diagnosis.

SUBMITTER: Honrado C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6228484 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Dielectric characterization of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells using microfluidic impedance cytometry.

Honrado C C Ciuffreda L L Spencer D D Ranford-Cartwright L L Morgan H H

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface 20181017 147

Although malaria is the world's most life-threatening parasitic disease, there is no clear understanding of how certain biophysical properties of infected cells change during the malaria infection cycle. In this article, we use microfluidic impedance cytometry to measure the dielectric properties of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (i-RBCs) at specific time points during the infection cycle. Individual parasites were identified within i-RBCs using green fluores ...[more]

PMID: 30333248

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Severe falciparum malaria anaemia (SMA) is a frequent cause of mortality in children and pregnant women. The most important determinant of SMA appears to be the loss of non-parasitized red blood cells (np-RBCs) in excess of loss of parasitized (p-) RBCs at schizogony. Based on data from acute SMA where excretion of haemoglobin in urine and increased plasma haemoglobin represented respectively less than 1% and 0.5% of total Hb loss, phagocytosis appears to be the predominant mechanism of removal of np- and p-RBC.Estimates indicate that np-RBCs are cleared in approximately 10-fold excess compared to p-RBCs. An even larger removal of np-RBCs has been described in vivax malaria anaemia. Estimates were based on two single studies both performed on neurosyphilitic patients who underwent malaria therapy. As the share of np-RBC removal is likely to vary between wide limits, it is important to assess the contribution of both np- and p-RBC populations to overall RBC loss, and disclose the mechanism of such variability. As available methods do not discriminate between the removal of np- vs p-RBCs, the purpose of this study was to set up a system allowing the simultaneous determination of phagocytosis of p- and np-RBC in the same sample. METHODS AND RESULTS: Phagocytosis of p- and np-RBCs was quantified in the same sample using double-labelled target cells and the human phagocytic cell-line THP-1, pre-activated by TNF and IFN? to enhance their phagocytic activity. Target RBCs were double-labelled with fluorescent carboxyfluorescein-succinimidyl ester (CF-SE) and the DNA label ethidium bromide (EB). EB, a DNA label, allowed to discriminate p-RBCs that contain parasitic DNA from the np-RBCs devoid of DNA. FACS analysis of THP-1 cells fed with double-labelled RBCs showed that p- and np-RBCs were phagocytosed in different proportions in relation to parasitaemia. CONCLUSIONS: The assay allowed the analysis of phagocytosis rapidly and with low subjective error, and the differentiation between phagocytosed p- and np-RBCs in the same sample. The presented method may help to analyse the factors or conditions that modulate the share of np-RBC removal in vitro and in vivo and lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SMA.

Dataset Information

Dielectric characterization of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells using microfluidic impedance cytometry.

Publications

Dielectric characterization of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>-infected red blood cells using microfluidic impedance cytometry.

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