T. Nkuoakenji et al., PATTERNS OF ANTIBODY-LEVELS TO THE 96-TR RECOMBINANT PROTEIN OF PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM IN CHILDREN OVER A 6-MONTH PERIOD, The Journal of parasitology, 81(2), 1995, pp. 195-199
Several Plasmodium falciparum asexual stage antigens have been reporte
d as possible candidate antigens for vaccines against malaria. One suc
h is the 96-kDa antigen. We used the 96 tR recombinant protein to dete
rmine the levels of antibodies to this protein over a 6-mo period in c
hildren 4 mo to 15 yr old, who make up the population at risk in Camer
oon. 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 childr
en having ELISA values considered to be positive (greater than or equa
l to 0.36). In the follow-up study in early December, the mean ELISA w
as 0.320 with 20% of the children having positive values. In the perio
d between June and December, 85% of the children who returned for foll
ow-up had had I or more attacks of malaria. The mean ELISA values of t
his 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 previou
s study that reactivity to the 96-kDa antigen is related to adequate e
xposure or repeated infection.