Comparison of the human immune responses to recombinant proteins representing three distinct surface proteins of Plasmodium vivax merozoites

COMPARISON OF THE HUMAN IMMUNE RESPONSES TO RECOMBINANT PROTEINS REPRESENTING THREE DISTINCT SURFACE PROTEINS OF Plasmodium vivax MEROZOITES

MARISTELA GOMES DA CUNHA^1,2, MARY R. GALINSKI³, IRENE S. SOARES¹, JOSÉ MARIA DE SOUZA⁴, SALMA G. OLIVEIRA⁴, ÉRIKA BRAGA⁵, JOHN W.BARNWELL³AND MAURÍCIO M. RODRIGUES¹

¹Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP;

²Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pa;

3Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga;

4Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, Pa, Brazil;

5Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.

Presented by LUIZ R. TRAVASSOS

In the present study we evaluated the naturally acquired immune response to Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein (MSP) 1, 3 and 4 in individuals with recent clinical episodes of malaria from the state of Pará, Brazil. Seven recombinant proteins representing different portions of MSPs were expressed in E. coli as GST fusion proteins. Immune responses were estimated in terms of frequency of responders, antibody titers, immunoglobulin isotype, longevity of the antibody response and cell mediated immunity. The total frequency of individuals with antibodies and cellular immune response to MSP1 was higher than to the other two proteins. The C-terminal region of MSP1 was the most antigenic as estimated by the frequency of responders and antibody titers. Nevertheless, the antibody responses to all antigens were relatively short lived. We concluded that MSPs were immunogenic to a certain proportion of individuals exposed to malaria. Our results also suggested that the C-terminal of MSP1 is particularly immunogenic to antibodies and T cells during natural infection in humans.

— ( September 14, 1999 ) .

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  07 Aug 2000
• Date of issue
  Mar 2000