title: Humoral immune responses of Africans to cysteine protease-related antigens of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: The Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen (SERA) and serine repeat protein homologue (SERPH) contain highly conserved domains that appear to encode cysteine proteases or related proteins. Humoral immune responses against the protease domains of SERA and SERPH were evaluated. Malaria-immune Africans, but not nonimmune controls, demonstrated potent humoral responses against the protease domains. As the SERA and SERPH protease domains are likely accessible to circulating antibody, these results suggest that humoral responses to the domains may contribute to antimalarial immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, 94143-0811, USA.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Gor
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C057495:serine repeat antigen, Plasmodium; C068141:SERP H antigen, Plasmodium; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases