title: A survey of the Th2R and Th3R allelic variants in the circumsporozoite protein gene of P. falciparum parasites from western Thailand.
abstract: Allelic variation in the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CS) gene has been determined by sequencing the immunodominant T-cell epitopes, Th2R and Th3R, from 95 isolates from two malaria-endemic areas in the west of Thailand. Comparison with a reference sequence revealed only non-synonymous point mutations in the two epitope regions. Point mutations were found outside these epitopes in a minority of samples, and all but four were also non-synonymous. A relatively high number of variants, 11 Th2R and 9 Th3R, were detected and comprised some that had not been previously observed. However, the Th2R*05 and the Th3R*01 allelic variants predominated, as they were found in more than 70% of the 101 sequences obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chutima
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kumkhaek
authors.forename: Kooruethai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phra-ek
authors.forename: Pratap
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singhasivanon
authors.forename: Sornchai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Looareesuwan
authors.forename: Chakrit
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hirunpetcharat
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brockman
authors.forename: Anne Charlotte
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Grüner
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lebrun
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rénia
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nosten
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Snounou
authors.forename: Srisin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khusmith
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan