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

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010327
• Publication Date: 2022-02-14T19:00:13Z
• Authors: Fungai Musaigwa; Severin Donald Ka...; Thabo Mpotje; Paballo Mosala; Nada Abdel Aziz; De’Broski R. Herbert; Frank Brombacher; Justin Komguep Nono
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; QH301-705.5; Plasma Cells; Immunology; Global Burden of Leishmaniasis Incidence and Treatment; Global Impact of Helminth Infections and Control Strategies; Mice; Ecological Interactions of Parasites in Ecosystems; 03 medical and health sciences; Bone Marrow; Virology; Helminths; Health Sciences; Animals; Schistosomiasis; Biology (General); Biology; Immunology and Microbiology; Vaccines; Cell Death; Ecology; FOS: Clinical medicine; Vaccination; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Immunity; Life Sciences; Schistosoma mansoni; RC581-607; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Virus; 3. Good health; Poliovirus; Immune system; FOS: Biological sciences; Environmental Science; Physical Sciences; Medicine; Schistosoma; Parasitology; Immunologic diseases. Allergy; Research Article

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 chronicSchistosoma mansoniinfection 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.