title: Natural infection of Plasmodium falciparum induces inhibitory antibodies against gametocyte development in human hosts.
abstract: We identified naturally induced antibodies from malaria patients in Thailand and  clarified the effect of the antibodies on gametocyte development. Fifty-nine percent of the  Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood samples (17 of 29) fed to female Anopheles mosquitoes showed  no oocyst infection. Seventeen percent of the samples (5 of 29) distorted the morphology and  hampered the maturity of the gametocytes. A possible mechanism for the gametocyte inhibitory  activity was shown by the binding of the plasma antibodies to live, immature, intraerythrocytic  gametocytes during the incubation period. One hundred fifty-seven proteins specific to different  gametocyte stages were explored to find the targets of the antisera that bound to the live  gametocytes. However, no additional gametocyte transmission-blocking vaccine candidate was  detected. Therefore, the development of alternative transmission-blocking vaccines in  high-transmission areas should focus on the identification of more gametocyte antigens-inducing  inhibitory antibodies that reduce gametocytemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Natda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tonwong
authors.forename: Jetsumon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sattabongkot
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iriko
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeo
authors.forename: Jeeraphat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sirichaisinthop
authors.forename: Rachanee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Udomsangpetch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001769:Blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan