TY - JOUR

T1 - Immunoglobulin G antibody reactivity to a group A Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 and protection from P. falciparum malaria

AU - Magistrado, Pamela A

AU - Lusingu, John

AU - Vestergaard, Lasse S

AU - Lemnge, Martha

AU - Lavstsen, Thomas

AU - Turner, Louise

AU - Hviid, Lars

AU - Jensen, Anja T R

AU - Theander, Thor G

N1 - Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Logistic Models; Malaria, Falciparum; Prevalence; Protozoan Proteins; Recombinant Proteins; Tanzania

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Variant surface antigens (VSA) on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of malaria and are key targets for acquired immunity. The best-characterized VSA belong to the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. In areas where P. falciparum is endemic, parasites causing severe malaria and malaria in young children with limited immunity tend to express semiconserved PfEMP1 molecules encoded by group A var genes. Here we investigated antibody responses of Tanzanians who were 0 to 19 years old to PF11_0008, a group A PfEMP1. PF11_0008 has previously been found to be highly transcribed in a nonimmune Dutch volunteer experimentally infected with NF54 parasites. A high proportion of the Tanzanian donors had antibodies against recombinant PF11_0008 domains, and in children who were 4 to 9 years old the presence of antibodies to the PF11_0008 CIDR2beta domain was associated with reduced numbers of malaria episodes. These results indicate that homologues of PF11_0008 are present in P. falciparum field isolates and suggest that PF11_0008 CIDR2beta-reactive antibodies might be involved in protection against malaria episodes.

AB - Variant surface antigens (VSA) on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of malaria and are key targets for acquired immunity. The best-characterized VSA belong to the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. In areas where P. falciparum is endemic, parasites causing severe malaria and malaria in young children with limited immunity tend to express semiconserved PfEMP1 molecules encoded by group A var genes. Here we investigated antibody responses of Tanzanians who were 0 to 19 years old to PF11_0008, a group A PfEMP1. PF11_0008 has previously been found to be highly transcribed in a nonimmune Dutch volunteer experimentally infected with NF54 parasites. A high proportion of the Tanzanian donors had antibodies against recombinant PF11_0008 domains, and in children who were 4 to 9 years old the presence of antibodies to the PF11_0008 CIDR2beta domain was associated with reduced numbers of malaria episodes. These results indicate that homologues of PF11_0008 are present in P. falciparum field isolates and suggest that PF11_0008 CIDR2beta-reactive antibodies might be involved in protection against malaria episodes.

U2 - 10.1128/IAI.00951-06

DO - 10.1128/IAI.00951-06

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 17283085

VL - 75

SP - 2415

EP - 2420

JO - Infection and Immunity

JF - Infection and Immunity

SN - 0019-9567

IS - 5

ER -