The epidemiology of multiple-clone Plasmodium falciparum infections in Gambian patients.
The occurrence of multiple-clone Plasmodium falciparum haploid blood-stage infections is a pre-requisite for cross-fertilization and genetic exchange at the diploid stage in the mosquito. Using monoclonal antibodies against 3 polymorphic blood-stage antigens, a method of two-colour differential immunofluorescence allowed the resolution of between 1 and 4 clones/isolate. A mean of 2 P. falciparum clones was detected in the blood of malaria patients in The Gambia. The mean number of clones/patient showed no correlation with age, parasitaemia, or disease severity. There was a slight difference in mean number between sample periods, probably reflecting temporal differences in transmission intensity. A statistical analysis of 2-locus genetic diversity of clones within isolates concludes that not all multiple-clone infections result from superinfection, but that some are due to single multiple-clone inoculations.
Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
D J
DJ
Conway
B M
BM
Greenwood
J S
JS
McBride
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016010:Binomial Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010641:Phenotype; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D012621:Seasons; D012703:Serotyping; D015163:Superinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal