Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9443026 | Experimental Parasitology | 2005 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
The merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) of Plasmodium falciparum comprises two major targets of antibody-mediated immunity: the polymorphic block 2 and the 19-kDa C-terminal domain MSP-119. Here, we measured antibodies to three block 2 variants and MSP-119 among Amazonian gold miners and examined the repertoire of block 2 variants in local parasites. Main findings were as follows: (1) Only seven different block 2 variants were found in 18 DNA sequences analyzed. (2) No major difference was observed in IgG subclass distribution of antibodies from symptomatic P. falciparum-infected patients, asymptomatic parasite carriers, and non-infected subjects. (3) Antibodies to all block 2 antigens, but not to MSP-119, were biased towards IgG3 across different strata of cumulative malaria exposure. (4) Similar proportions of symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects failed to recognize the block 2 variant expressed by infecting parasites. These negative results underscore the limits of conventional antibody assays to evaluate clinical immunity to malaria.
Keywords
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Immunology and Microbiology
Parasitology
Authors
Kézia K.G. Scopel, Cor J.F. Fontes, Marcelo U. Ferreira, Ãrika M. Braga,