EBNA-1 specific effector T cell deletion associated with holoendemic malaria exposure in the etiology of endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma (P3063)

Abstract

Etiological mechanism of eBL remain largely unknown despite long-standing epidemiological link between malaria and EBV co-infection. Age-dependent deficiency in EBV-specific CD8+ T cell-mediated IFN-γ immunosurveillance has been reported in malaria holoendemic exposed children which has been associated with eBL diagnosis. We sought to investigate whether qualitative differences in EBNA-1 specific T cells existed in malaria- exposed children to explain their increased risk for eBL. We conducted a cross-sectional study of healthy children from western Kenya with divergent malaria exposure: Kisumu (holoendemic) and Nandi (hypoendemic) and eBL age-matched patients. T cell effector function was evaluated by multiparameter flow cytometry against T cell lineage markers (CD3, 4, 8, 45RA & CCR7) and functional phenotype (IFN-γ, IL10, IL17 & PD1) to EBNA-1 …