Assessment of the humoral and cell-mediated immunity against the Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidates circumsporozoite protein and SPf66 in adults living in highly endemic malarious areas of Papua New Guinea

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1994 Sep;51(3):356-64. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1994.51.356.

Abstract

To assess natural immunity against the circumsporozoite (CS) protein and the synthetic vaccine SPf66, immunologic studies were carried out in a highly endemic malarious area of Papua New Guinea. Antibody prevalence, antibody titers, and T cell proliferation against both antigens were measured in 214 adults. Immunologic data were analyzed with respect to longitudinal malariologic and morbidity data. Evidence of genetic traits such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and ovalocytosis was analyzed. Antibody prevalence was high, with 79% and 84% for CS protein and SPf66, respectively, while T cell proliferation was infrequent and low, with 14% and 12% responders, respectively. Anti-CS protein antibodies increased with age but showed no association to malaria indices or morbidity. No protective value was observed with T cell responses or with humoral response to SPf66. These results provide a first description of naturally developed immunity against SPf66 and suggest further studies in to fully understand the mechanism of immunity against this antigen.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / complications
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Malaria / complications
  • Malaria / epidemiology
  • Malaria / immunology*
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Morbidity
  • Papua New Guinea / epidemiology
  • Parasitemia / epidemiology
  • Parasitemia / immunology
  • Plasmodium falciparum / immunology*
  • Prevalence
  • Protozoan Proteins / immunology*
  • Recombinant Proteins*
  • Seasons

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • SPf66 protein, Plasmodium
  • circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan