TY - JOUR

T1 - Longitudinal study of seroreactivities to Pf155/RESA and its repetitive sequences in small children from a holoendemic area of Liberia

AU - Björkman, A

AU - Lebbad, M

AU - Perlmann, H

AU - Freeman, T

AU - Hogh, B

AU - Petersen, E

AU - Gille, E

AU - Lindgren, A

AU - Willcox, M

AU - Hanson, A P

PY - 1991/5

Y1 - 1991/5

N2 - The seroreactivities to Pf155/RESA antigen and to three oligopeptides (EENV)2, EENVEHDA and K(DDEHVEEPTVA)2, which constitute repeat subunits of the RESA molecule, were investigated between 1980 and 1986 in two cohorts of children (n = 114) with and without monthly chemosuppression (pulsed reduction of parasite load) against malaria from six months to five years of age during development of protective immunity. Serum samples were collected first at half-yearly and then yearly intervals. Positive immunofluorescence against Pf155/RESA (EMIF) was only found in 24% of the samples. The children with chemosuppression were more often seropositive (30%) than the non prophylactic children (17%). This was in contrast to the seroreactivity against crude parasitic antigens which was highest in the non prophylactic children. In these children, there was a general decrease of EMIF titres around two years of age. Immunosuppression by chronic parasitaemia may be suggested as a reason for this. ELISA seroreactivity was found against one, two or three oligopeptides in all children with high EMIF titres (greater than 250) although (EENV)2 appeared to best correlate (92%) with the EMIF seropositivity. While EMIF seropositivity only showed partial correlation to immunoprotection against patent parasitaemia in the non prophylactic children, the individual profiles of the seroreactivities to the different specific epitopes of the Pf155/RESA molecule and their relevance with regards to protective immunity to malaria need to be investigated further.

AB - The seroreactivities to Pf155/RESA antigen and to three oligopeptides (EENV)2, EENVEHDA and K(DDEHVEEPTVA)2, which constitute repeat subunits of the RESA molecule, were investigated between 1980 and 1986 in two cohorts of children (n = 114) with and without monthly chemosuppression (pulsed reduction of parasite load) against malaria from six months to five years of age during development of protective immunity. Serum samples were collected first at half-yearly and then yearly intervals. Positive immunofluorescence against Pf155/RESA (EMIF) was only found in 24% of the samples. The children with chemosuppression were more often seropositive (30%) than the non prophylactic children (17%). This was in contrast to the seroreactivity against crude parasitic antigens which was highest in the non prophylactic children. In these children, there was a general decrease of EMIF titres around two years of age. Immunosuppression by chronic parasitaemia may be suggested as a reason for this. ELISA seroreactivity was found against one, two or three oligopeptides in all children with high EMIF titres (greater than 250) although (EENV)2 appeared to best correlate (92%) with the EMIF seropositivity. While EMIF seropositivity only showed partial correlation to immunoprotection against patent parasitaemia in the non prophylactic children, the individual profiles of the seroreactivities to the different specific epitopes of the Pf155/RESA molecule and their relevance with regards to protective immunity to malaria need to be investigated further.

KW - Amino Acid Sequence

KW - Animals

KW - Antibodies, Protozoan/immunology

KW - Antigens, Protozoan/immunology

KW - Antigens, Surface/immunology

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Liberia/epidemiology

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Malaria/epidemiology

KW - Molecular Sequence Data

KW - Oligopeptides/immunology

KW - Plasmodium falciparum/immunology

KW - Protozoan Proteins/immunology

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 1852476

VL - 13

SP - 301

EP - 311

JO - Parasite Immunology

JF - Parasite Immunology

SN - 0141-9838

IS - 3

ER -