Pattern of humoral immune response to Plasmodium falciparum blood stages in individuals presenting different clinical expressions of malaria

Abstract

Background: The development of protective immunity against malaria is slow and to be maintained, it requires exposure to multiple antigenic variants of malaria parasites and age-associated maturation of the immune system. Evidence that the protective immunity is associated with different classes and subclasses of antibodies reveals the importance of considering the quality of the response. In this study, we have evaluated the humoral immune response against Plasmodium falciparum blood stages of individuals naturally exposed to malaria who live in endemic areas of Brazil in order to assess the prevalence of different specific isotypes and their association with different malaria clinical expressions.

CD4 + T Cell Response Correlates with Naturally Acquired Antibodies against Plasmodium vivax Tryptophan-Rich Antigens

“…Malaria-exposed individuals mount an antibody response to several antigens present on sporozoites, on merozoites, and on infected erythrocytes. This antibody-dependent mechanism plays an important role in reduction of parasitemia and can diminish clinical symptoms (27,28). During asexual parasite development, proposed vaccines may induce specific antibodies that block merozoite invasion of erythrocytes (29), facilitate erythrophagocytosis (30), induce complement-mediated erythrocyte lysis, or inhibit intraerythrocytic parasite development through soluble immune mediators, such as oxygen radicals that are released in response to antibody-dependent cell inhibition (31).…”

Analysis of malaria associated genetic traits in Cabo Verde, a melting pot of European and sub Saharan settlers

“…The establishment of clinical symptoms could be attenuated due to premunition, already described for other areas of unstable and lowlevel transmission of malaria [9,10,11]. Also, differences in clinical consequences of infection with P. falciparum as consequence of host factors have already been demonstrated [12,13] and the most common and best characterized protective polymorphisms are those involving the erythrocyte-specific proteins and enzymes, such as hemoglobin (Hb) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) variants.…”

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Triggered by Falciparum Cerebral Malaria

“…Hence, it is thought that plasma proteins form aggregates that activate the alternate complement pathway, thereby leading to deposition within target organs (including the blood vessels of the skin), release of a cascade of inflammatory mediators, and eventually, tissue injury. 11 In a recent article, Leoratti et al, 12 who were investigating the pattern of humoral immune response to P falciparum blood stages in individuals presenting with different clinical expressions of malaria, reported IgA, IgM, and IgE antibody classes to be predominant in those patients who had 5 or fewer number of prior clinical attacks of malaria as against predominance of IgG and the related subclasses in those who had greater than 5 such previous episodes. In the present case, the serum level of IgA was markedly raised, which may be linked to the copresence of the 2 disease states, each of which as discussed above may be individually responsible for the increased serum IgA levels.…”