title: Temporal variations in immune responses to conserved regions of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface proteins related to the severity of a prior malaria episode in Gabonese children.
abstract: We measured cellular and humoral responses to conserved regions of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 (MSP-1 and MSP-2) at different times during and after acute infection in matched groups of Gabonese children who presented with either mild or severe malaria. We used an MSP-1(19) recombinant protein and peptides corresponding to conserved epitopes in MSP-1 and MSP-2 N- and C-terminal regions. The prevalences of peptide-induced cell-mediated responses were maximal in both groups when they were healthy, but were consistently higher in the mild malaria group, whereas peptide-specific antibody responses were consistently highest in the severe malaria group. Recombinant MSP-1(19) protein-specific antibody levels in the 2 groups were similar both prior to and 1 month post-treatment but declined later when the children were healthy and parasite-free, to a significantly lower level in those admitted with severe malaria, reflecting the profile of the predominant MSP-1(19)-specific immunoglobulin G1 isotype. This finding implies a defect in the ability of children with a history of severe malaria to maintain an antibody response putatively associated with immunity to P. falciparum malaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tebo
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deloron
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kremsner
authors.forename: Adrian J F
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Luty
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C065974:merozoite surface protein 2, Plasmodium