title: Expression of merozoite surface protein markers by Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in peripheral blood and tissues of children with fatal malaria.
abstract: Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes is a pathological feature of fatal cerebral malaria. P. falciparum is genetically diverse among, and often within, patients. Preferential sequestration of certain genotypes might be important in pathogenesis. We compared circulating parasites with parasites sequestered in the brain, spleen, liver, and lung in the same Malawian children with fatal malaria, classifying serotypes using antibodies to merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 and immunofluorescence in order to differentiate parasites and to quantify the proportions of each serotype. We found (i) similar distributions of various serotypes in different tissues and (ii) concordance between parasite serotypes in peripheral blood and parasite serotypes in tissues. No serotypes predominated in the brain in cerebral malaria, and parasites belonging to a single serotype did not cluster within individual vessels or within single tissues. These findings do not support the hypothesis that cerebral malaria is caused by cerebral sequestration of certain virulent types.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Salut Internacional, Hospital Clínic/IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain. cdobano@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Carlota
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dobaño
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rogerson
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Jana S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: Malcolm E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Molyneux
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000469:parasitology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology*; D008295:Malawi; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D012703:Serotyping; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015415:Biomarkers; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C065974:merozoite surface protein 2, Plasmodium