ANTIBODY REACTIVITY TO CONSERVED LINEAR EPITOPES OF PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE PROTEIN-1 (PFEMP1)

The Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) fami ly of protein antigens are involved in adhesion of P. falciparum infec ted erythrocytes to the capillary endothelium of the host. Antibodies to variable regions of these proteins, measured by agglutination, corr elates with clinical protection against falciparum malaria. In this st udy we investigated the occurrence of antibodies to conserved sequence s of these very variable proteins in a population living in an area en demic for falciparum malaria. Using the ELISA method, we were able to measure an antibody response to three synthetic peptides derived from conserved regions of PfEMP1. The antibody responses to these peptides increased with age and were higher in individuals with asymptomatic P. falciparum infection compared to individuals presenting with fever at tributable to falciparum malaria. This indicates that antibodies recog nising the conserved regions of PfEMP1 arise upon exposure to the para site, and that these may be involved in the development of protection against malaria. Antibodies to the Pfalhesin peptide of the human anio ntransporter, band3, were measured by the same method. The magnitude o f this antibody response did not correlate with neither age nor clinic al protection. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.