title: Immunoglobulin G antibody reactivity to a group A Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 and protection from P. falciparum malaria.
abstract: Variant surface antigens (VSA) on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of malaria and are key targets for acquired immunity. The best-characterized VSA belong to the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. In areas where P. falciparum is endemic, parasites causing severe malaria and malaria in young children with limited immunity tend to express semiconserved PfEMP1 molecules encoded by group A var genes. Here we investigated antibody responses of Tanzanians who were 0 to 19 years old to PF11_0008, a group A PfEMP1. PF11_0008 has previously been found to be highly transcribed in a nonimmune Dutch volunteer experimentally infected with NF54 parasites. A high proportion of the Tanzanian donors had antibodies against recombinant PF11_0008 domains, and in children who were 4 to 9 years old the presence of antibodies to the PF11_0008 CIDR2beta domain was associated with reduced numbers of malaria episodes. These results indicate that homologues of PF11_0008 are present in P. falciparum field isolates and suggest that PF11_0008 CIDR2beta-reactive antibodies might be involved in protection against malaria episodes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. pam@immi.ku.dk
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Magistrado
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lusingu
authors.forename: Lasse S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lemnge
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lavstsen
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hviid
authors.forename: Anja T R
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Thor G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Theander
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016015:Logistic Models; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C085731:erythrocyte membrane protein 1, Plasmodium falciparum