title: CD4 T cell responses to a variant antigen of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, erythrocyte membrane protein-1, in individuals living in malaria-endemic areas.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP-1) is a variant antigen on the surface of malaria-infected red blood cells. Antibody responses to PfEMP-1 correlate with immunity, and, therefore, PfEMP-1 may be a good candidate for a malaria vaccine. However, the specificity of CD4 T cells required for a protective variant-specific antibody response is not known. We have measured the CD4 T cell response to 3 different regions that are relatively homologous among different PfEMP-1 variants. The response to the cysteine-rich interdomain region was unusual in that the majority of donors, whether malaria exposed or not, had positive CD4 T cell, interleukin-10, and interferon-gamma responses. The CD4 T cell response to the exon 2 and duffy binding-like domain proteins was significantly greater in malaria-exposed donors than in unexposed Europeans, which suggests that these regions contain peptides recognized by T cells, which thus may be useful as components of a vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Catherine E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Allsopp
authors.forename: Latifu A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sanni
authors.forename: Lieke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reubsaet
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ndungu
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newbold
authors.forename: Tabitha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mwangi
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langhorne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C085731:erythrocyte membrane protein 1, Plasmodium falciparum; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma