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. 2010 Apr;32(4):296-304.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2009.01193.x.

Boosting antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens in children with highly seasonal exposure to infection

O J Akpogheneta  1 , S Dunyo, M Pinder, D J Conway
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Boosting antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens in children with highly seasonal exposure to infection

O J Akpogheneta et al. Parasite Immunol. 2010 Apr.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Longitudinal cohort studies are important to describe the dynamics of naturally acquired antibody response profiles to defined Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigens relative to clinical malaria episodes. In children under 7 years of age in The Gambia, serum IgG responses were measured to P. falciparum merozoite antigens AMA1, EBA175, MSP1(19), MSP2 and crude schizont extract, over a 10-month period. Persistence of antibody responses was measured in 152 children during the dry season when there was virtually no malaria transmission, and 103 children were monitored for new episodes of clinical malaria during the subsequent wet season when transmission occurred. Children who experienced clinical malaria had lower antibody levels at the start of the study than those who remained free from malaria. Associations between dry season antibody persistence and subsequent wet season antibody levels suggested robust immunological memory responses. Mean antibody levels to all antigens were elevated by the end of the wet season in children who experienced clinical malaria; each of these children had a boosted antibody response to at least one antigen. In all children, antibody avidities were lower against MSP2 than other antigens, a difference that did not change throughout the study period or in relation to clinical malaria episodes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in mean antibody levels between early dry season (day 0), start of malaria transmission season (mean day 154) and end of the malaria transmission season (mean day 285) for children with (a, n= 34) and without (b, n= 69) a recorded episode of clinical malaria during the transmission season. Significant differences between days 0 and 285 or days 154 and 285 antibody levels are shown (**P< 0·01, *P< 0·05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Longitudinal antibody profiles for 21 children with an episode of clinical P. falciparum malaria during the transmission season and a follow-up sample collected within 18 days post-treatment. An arrow indicates day of treatment for clinical malaria. Day 0 is early in the dry season (February), and day 154 is at the beginning of the wet season (July) after which time most malaria transmission occurs.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Summary of antibody level increases during the wet season (between mean days 154 and 285) in 21 children with a recorded episode of clinical malaria, stratified by antibody levels at the start of the wet season (day 154).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Antibody avidity measures for IgG to AMA1, MSP119, MSP2A and MSP2B in serum from children with antibody levels >0·5 optical density (OD) at each time points. Relative antibody avidity indices (ELISA OD with/ELISA OD without 0·5 m guanidine thiocyanate incubation) during the dry season (day 0), beginning of malaria transmission season (day 154) and end of the malaria transmission season (day 285). AMA1 day 0: n= 74, day 154: n= 55, day 285: n= 70; MSP119 day 0: n= 64, day 154: n= 47, day 285: n= 61; MSP2A day 0: n= 44, day 154: n= 32, day 285: n= 48; MSP2B day 0: n= 52, day154: n= 34, day 285: n= 56.
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