Human monoclonal IgG selection of Plasmodium falciparum for the expression of placental malaria-specific variant surface antigens

Authors: SOERLI, J.; BARFOD, L.; LAVSTSEN, T.; BERNASCONI, N. L.; LANZAVECCHIA, A.; HVIID, L.

Source: Parasite Immunology, Volume 31, Number 6, June 2009 , pp. 341-346(6)

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Abstract:

SUMMARY

Pregnancy-associated Plasmodium falciparum malaria (PAM) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in African women and their offspring. PAM is characterized by accumulation of infected erythrocytes (IEs) that adhere to chondroitin sulphate A (CSA) in the placental intervillous space. We show here that human monoclonal IgG antibodies with specificity for variant surface antigens (VSA) specifically expressed by CSA-adhering IEs (VSA_PAM) can be used in vitro to select parasites from nonpregnant donors to express VSA_PAM and that this selection for VSA_PAM expression results in preferential transcription of var2csa. The results corroborate current efforts to develop PAM-specific vaccines based on VAR2CSA.

Keywords: human monoclonal IgG; PfEMP1; Plasmodium falciparum; pregnancy; VAR2CSA

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3024.2009.01097.x

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland

Publication date: 2009-06-01