Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax apical membrane antigen 1: persistence and correlation with malaria transmission intensity. |
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| Authors: | Cristiane G Morais Irene S Soares Luzia H Carvalho Cor J F Fontes Antoniana U Krettli Erika M Braga |
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| Affiliation: | Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. |
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| Abstract: | The antibody responses to the apical membrane antigen 1 of the Plasmodium vivax (PvAMA-1) were investigated in subjects living in areas of Brazil with different levels of malaria transmission. The prevalence and the levels of IgG to PvAMA-1 increased with the time of exposure. The frequency of a positive response and the mean IgG level were higher in areas where malaria prevalence was more intense, especially among non-infected subjects exposed to moderate transmission over a period of 20 years. The proportions and levels of IgG1and IgG3 isotypes were significantly higher among those subjects with long-term exposure. Antibodies, mainly IgG1, to PvAMA-1 persisted for seven years among subjects briefly exposed to malaria in an outbreak outside the Brazilian malaria-endemic area. These data show the highly immunogenic properties of PvAMA-1 and emphasize its possible use as a malaria vaccine candidate. |
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