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BACKGROUND: Data suggest that antibody responses to malaria parasites merozoite antigens are generally short-lived and this has implications for serological studies and malaria vaccine designs. However, precise data on the kinetics of these responses is lacking. METHODS: IgG1 and IgG3 responses to five recombinant Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens (MSP-119, MSP-2 type A and B, AMA-1 ectodomain and EBA-175 region II) among Kenyan children were monitored using ELISA for 12 weeks after an acute episode of malaria and their half-lives estimated using an exponential decay model. RESULTS: The responses peaked mainly at week 1 and then decayed rapidly to very low levels within 6 weeks. Estimation of the half-lives of 40 IgG1 responses yielded a mean half-life of 9.8 days (95% CI: 7.6-12.0) while for 16 IgG3 responses it was 6.1 days (95% CI: 3.7-8.4), periods that are shorter than those normally described for the catabolic half-life of these antibody subclasses. CONCLUSION: This study indicates antibodies against merozoite antigens have very short half-lives and this has to be taken into account when designing serological studies and vaccines based on the antigens.

Original publication

DOI

10.1186/1475-2875-6-82

Type

Journal article

Journal

Malar J

Publication Date

28/06/2007

Volume

6

Keywords

Animals, Antibodies, Protozoan, Antibody Specificity, Antigens, Protozoan, Child, Cohort Studies, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Half-Life, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Kenya, Longitudinal Studies, Malaria, Falciparum, Merozoites, Plasmodium falciparum