Plasmodium falciparum infection elicits both variant-specific and cross-reactive antibodies against variant surface antigens.
Naturally acquired antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP-1), the variant surface antigens expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes, are thought to play a role in protection against P. falciparum malaria. Here, we have studied the development of antibodies to PfEMP-1 in adult malaria patients living in Rourkela, India, an area with a low malaria transmission rate, and prevalence of antibodies to PfEMP-1 in residents of San Dulakudar, India, a village in which P. falciparum malaria is hyperendemic. Convalescent-phase sera from adult malaria patients from Rourkela agglutinate homologous P. falciparum isolates as well as some heterologous isolates, suggesting that they develop partially cross-reactive antibodies to PfEMP-1 following infection. Adult sera from San Dulakudar agglutinate diverse P. falciparum isolates, suggesting that they have antibodies with wide recognition of diverse PfEMP-1. Mixed-agglutination assays using pairs of P. falciparum isolates confirm the presence of both variant-specific and partially cross-reactive antibodies in convalescent-phase sera from Rourkela and adult sera from San Dulakudar. Analysis of PfEMP-1 sequences suggests a molecular basis for the observed cross-reactivity.
Chattopadhyay
Rana
R
Malaria Research Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India.
Sharma
Amit
A
Srivastava
Vinod K
VK
Pati
Sudhanshu S
SS
Sharma
S K
SK
Das
Bhabani S
BS
Chitnis
Chetan E
CE
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C085731:erythrocyte membrane protein 1, Plasmodium falciparum