title: Antibodies to Pf155/RESA and circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum in paired maternal-cord sera from Nigeria.
abstract: Paired maternal-cord serum samples were analysed for antibodies to the Pf155/RESA and circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antigens of Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria parasites were found in 2.6% (3/117) of cord blood and 22.4% (26/116) of maternal samples. Immunofluorescence assays detected P. falciparum-specific IgG antibodies in all paired samples while P. falciparum-specific IgM was detected in 5.8% (7/121) of cord samples. The positivity rates for antibodies to Pf155/RESA and (NANP)6 but not (EENV)6, a C-terminal repeat sequence of Pf155/RESA, were significantly higher in maternal as compared with cord samples. Seropositivity rates to Pf155/RESA and (EENV)6 were not related to maternal parity group while positivity rates to the (NANP)6 peptide were higher in primiparae and multiparae of > or = 4 parity. These data confirm the transplacental transfer of P. falciparum-specific antibodies and the higher incidence of malaria parasitaemia in primiparae. The presence of P. falciparum-specific IgM in some cord samples suggests intrauterine sensitization of the foetus to malarial antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Achidi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Perlmann
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Salimonu
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Asuzu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perlmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Berzins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology; D010298:Parity; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan; C050256:ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum