title: In vitro phagocytosis inhibition assay for the screening of potential candidate antigens for sub-unit vaccines against the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: We have previously established a direct correlation between immune protection against the asexual blood stage Plasmodium falciparum infection and the presence of opsonizing antibodies promoting phagocytosis of parasitized red blood cells. In the present communication we describe an in vitro assay for measuring phagocytosis inhibition (PIA) specific for P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes. The phagocytosis inhibition assay is a simple procedure for screening potential candidates for sub-unit vaccines against P. falciparum based on the correlation between opsonizing antibodies and immunoprotection. The assay was used to analyse 18 recombinant molecules, corresponding to 11 distinct antigens of P. falciparum. Pre-incubation and selective antibody depletion experiments demonstrate the antigen-antibody specificity of the PIA. The presence of epitopes participating as targets of opsonic antibodies were demonstrated in six distinct polypeptide antigens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Institut Pasteur, Cayenne, French Guiana.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gysin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gavoille
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherf
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonnefoy
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mercereau-Puijalon
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kun
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Müller-Hill
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pereira da Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012453:Saimiri
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins