A high capacity in vitro assay for measuring the cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

A simple, efficient, sensitive, reproducible and high throughput assay for measuring the cytoadhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cell s (human malaria) is described. The assay format uses 96-well microplates, with the number of P. falciparum parasitized erythrocytes bound determined by measuring Plasmodium specific lactic dehydrogenase activity colorimetric ally (absorbance at 655 nm) using the 3-acetylpyridine analog of nicotinami de adenine dinucleotide, nitro blue tetrazolium and diaphorase. The results of the described microplate assay were found to be comparable to those usi ng microscopic analysis but much less time consuming. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.