The dynamics of naturally acquired immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum sexual stage antigens Pfs230 & Pfs48/45 in a low endemic area in Tanzania

• Published in: PloS one 2010-11, Vol.5 (11), p.e14114-e14114
• Main Authors: Bousema, Teun, Roeffen, Will, Meijerink, Hinta, Mwerinde, Harry, Mwakalinga, Steve, van Gemert, Geert-Jan, van de Vegte-Bolmer, Marga, Mosha, Frank, Targett, Geoffrey, Riley, Eleanor M, Sauerwein, Robert, Drakeley, Chris
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Antibodies, Protozoan - immunology; Antigens; Antigens, Protozoan - immunology; Aquatic insects; Child; Child, Preschool; Correlation analysis; Culicidae; Endemic Diseases; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Erythrocytes; Exposure; Female; Gametocytes; Humans; Hygiene; Immune response; Immunity; Immunoglobulins; Immunology; Infections; Infectious Diseases/Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases; Infectious Diseases/Protozoal Infections; Infectious Diseases/Tropical and Travel-Associated Diseases; Longitudinal Studies; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology; Malaria, Falciparum - immunology; Male; Medicine; Membrane Glycoproteins - immunology; Middle Aged; Mosquitoes; Parasites; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - immunology; Protozoan Proteins - immunology; Sexual stages; Tanzania - epidemiology; Time Factors; Tropical diseases; Vaccines; Vector-borne diseases; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014114

Naturally acquired immune responses against sexual stages of P. falciparum can reduce the transmission of malaria from humans to mosquitoes. These antigens are candidate transmission-blocking vaccines but little is known about the acquisition of sexual stage immunity after exposure to gametocytes, or their longevity and functionality. We conducted a longitudinal study on functional sexual stage immune responses. Parasitaemic individuals (n = 116) were recruited at a health centre in Lower Moshi, Tanzania. Patients presented with gametocytes (n = 16), developed circulating gametocytes by day 7 (n = 69) or between day 7 and 14 (n = 10) after treatment or did not develop gametocytes (n = 21). Serum samples were collected on the first day of gametocytaemia and 28 and 84 days post-enrolment (or d7, 28, 84 after enrolment from gametocyte-negative individuals). Antibody responses to sexual stage antigens Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 were detected in 20.7% (72/348) and 15.2% (53/348) of the samples, respectively, and were less prevalent than antibodies against asexual stage antigens MSP-1(19) (48.1%; 137/285) and AMA-1 (52.4%; 129/246)(p