Tetteh, Kevin KA; Osier, Faith HA; Salanti, Ali; Kamuyu, Gathoni; Drought, Laura; Failly, Marilyne; Martin, Christophe; Marsh, Kevin; Conway, David J; (2013) Analysis of antibodies to newly described Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens supports MSPDBL2 as a predicted target of naturally acquired immunity. Infection and immunity, 81 (10). pp. 3835-3842. ISSN 0019-9567 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00301-13
Permanent Identifier
Use this Digital Object Identifier when citing or linking to this resource.
Abstract
Prospective studies continue to identify malaria parasite genes with particular patterns of polymorphism which indicate they may be under immune selection, and the encoded proteins require investigation. Sixteen new recombinant protein reagents were designed to characterize three such polymorphic proteins expressed in Plasmodium falciparum schizonts and merozoites: MSPDBL1 (also termed MSP3.4) and MSPDBL2 (MSP3.8), which possess Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains, and SURFIN4.2, encoded by a member of the surface-associated interspersed (surf) multigene family. After testing the antigenicities of these reagents by murine immunization and parasite immunofluorescence, we analyzed naturally acquired antibody responses to the antigens in two cohorts in coastal Kenya in which the parasite was endemic (Chonyi [n = 497] and Ngerenya [n = 461]). As expected, the prevalence and levels of serum antibodies increased with age. We then investigated correlations with subsequent risk of clinical malaria among children <11 years of age during 6 months follow-up surveillance. Antibodies to the polymorphic central region of MSPDBL2 were associated with reduced risk of malaria in both cohorts, with statistical significance remaining for the 3D7 allelic type after adjustment for individuals' ages in years and antibody reactivity to whole-schizont extract (Chonyi, risk ratio, 0.51, and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 0.93; Ngerenya, risk ratio, 0.38, and 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.82). For the MSPDBL1 Palo Alto allelic-type antigen, there was a protective association in one cohort (Ngerenya, risk ratio, 0.53, and 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.89), whereas the other antigens showed no protective associations after adjustment. These findings support the prediction that antibodies to the polymorphic region of MSPDBL2 contribute to protective immunity.
Item Type | Article |
---|---|
Faculty and Department |
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Department of Infection Biology Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Department of Infection Biology > Dept of Pathogen Molecular Biology (-2019) |
Research Centre |
Malaria Centre Vaccine Centre |
PubMed ID | 23897617 |
ISI | 324528700034 |
Related URLs |