Patterns of Antibody Levels to the 96 tR Recombinant Protein of Plasmodium falciparum in Children over a Six-Month Period

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 195 - 199
• Main Authors: Nkuo-Akenji, T., Deas, J., Leke, R., Ngu, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01-04-1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Age groups; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Antigens; Antigens, Protozoan - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cameroon; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; Follow-Up Studies; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Immunology; Infant; Infectious diseases; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - immunology; Medical sciences; Parasitemia; Parasitemia - immunology; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - immunology; Protozoal diseases; Protozoan Proteins - immunology; Protozoan Vaccines - immunology; Recombinant proteins; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Vaccination; Cameroon; Africa; Human; Protozoa; Protozoal disease; Malaria; Parasite; Vaccine; Parasitosis; Reinfection; Infection; Antigen; Plasmodium falciparum; Pathogenic; Sporozoa; Child; ELISA assay; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.2307/3283919

Several Plasmodium falciparum asexual stage antigens have been reported as possible candidate antigens for vaccines against malaria. One such is the 96-kDa antigen. We used the 96 tR recombinant protein to determine the levels of antibodies to this protein over a 6-mo period in children 4 mo to 15 yr old, who make up the population at risk in Cameroon. The mean enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on 83 children at the start of the study in June was 0.270, with 13% of these children having ELISA values considered to be positive (≥0.36). In the follow-up study in early December, the mean ELISA was 0.320 with 20% of the children having positive values. In the period between June and December, 85% of the children who returned for follow-up had had 1 or more attacks of malaria. The mean ELISA values of this latter group had increased from 0.235 in June to 0.318 in December, with 6% of the children in June having positive values compared with 18% in December. These findings reinforce our evidence from a previous study that reactivity to the 96-kDa antigen is related to adequate exposure or repeated infection.