Antibodies to rifin: a component of naturally acquired responses to Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigens on infected erythrocytes.
We used a pool of recombinant rifin proteins to pre-adsorb antibodies to rifin in the plasma of semi-immune African (Gabonese) adults and showed that this results in a reduction in the level of IgG antibody reactivity to variant surface antigens (VSA) measured in a standardized flow cytometric assay with a panel of heterologous parasite isolates. The same methods demonstrated a similar but less-marked contribution of antibodies to the duffy binding-like 1alpha (DBL-1alpha ) domain to the overall anti-VSA response. Thus, we conclude that both antibodies to rifin and, to a lesser extent, antibodies directed to conserved regions of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) DBL-1alpha domain contribute to the overall antibody response to VSA. We also assessed the associations between these different antibody responses in a cohort of Gabonese children. We found marked differences related to the childrens' history of presentation with either mild or severe malaria, but no consistent pattern that would indicate a specific role or influence of antibody responses to rifin.
Abdel-Latif
Mohamed S
MS
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Cabrera
Gerardo
G
Köhler
Carsten
C
Kremsner
Peter G
PG
Luty
Adrian J F
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins