title: Concentration and purification by magnetic separation of the erythrocytic stages of all human Plasmodium species.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parasite concentration methods facilitate molecular, biochemical and immunological research on the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium. In this paper, an adaptation of magnetic MACS(R) columns for the purification of human Plasmodium species is presented. This method was useful for the concentration/purification of either schizonts or gametocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnetic removal of non-parasitized red blood cells (in vivo and in vitro) using magnetic columns (MACS) was evaluated. This easy-to-use technique enriched schizonts and gametocytes from Plasmodium falciparum in vitro cultures with a very high degree of purity. In addition, all haemozoin-containing stages (schizonts and/or gametocytes) from the peripheral blood of infected patients could be concentrated using this method. This method is particularly useful for the concentration of non-falciparum species, which do not grow in culture and are otherwise difficult to obtain in large amounts.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Laboratoire Pharmacochimie des Substances Naturelles et Pharmacophores Redox, UMR 152 IRD-Université, Université Paul Sabatier, Faculté de Pharmacie, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France. ribaut@cict.fr
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ribaut
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chevalley
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reybier
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morlais
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parzy
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nepveu
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benoit-Vical
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valentin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052939:Schizonts / Q000276:immunology; D053058:Trophozoites / Q000276:immunology