Bansal Geetha P, Vengesai Arthur, Cao Yi, Mduluza Takafira, Kumar Nirbhay
Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases Research Centre,Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe.
Acta Trop. 2017 Jun;170:105-111. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.02.032. Epub 2017 Feb 28.
Infections caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax account for more than 90% of global malaria burden. Exposure to malaria parasite elicits immune responses during natural infection and it is generally believed that the immunity is not only stage specific but also species specific. However, partial genomic similarity for various antigens in different Plasmodium spp. raises the possibility of immunological cross-reactivity at the level of specific antigens. Serum samples collected from children who were permanent residents of a P. falciparum transmission area in Zimbabwe were screened for antibody reactivity against Pfs48/45, a P. falciparum gametocyte antigen and Pvs48/45, a P. vivax homolog of Pfs48/45 using ELISA. Western blotting was used to further confirm identity of the specific antibody reactivity to the Pfs48/45 and Pvs48/45 proteins. Pan Plasmodium PCR and nested PCR were used to confirm infection with the Plasmodium species. Twenty-seven percent (49/181) of the participants were found to be sero-positive for Pfs48/45 and 73% (n=36) of these Pfs48/45 positive sera also showed reactivity with Pvs48/45. Immune cross-reactivity revealed by ELISA was also confirmed by Western blot analysis using a panel of randomly selected 23 Pfs48/45 and Pvs48/45 ELISA positive samples. Nested PCR analysis of 27 blood samples randomly selected from the 36 that showed positive ELISA reactivity to both Pfs48/45 and Pvs48/45 antigens confirmed infection with P. falciparum and generalized absence of P. vivax except for a single sample which revealed PCR positivity for both P. vivax and P. falciparum. Our studies with sera samples from a predominantly P. falciparum transmission area in Zimbabwe suggest immunological cross-reactivity with Pvs48/45, thus raising the possibility of partial species cross-reactive immunity and possible cross-boosting of immunity during co-infection with P. falciparum and P. vivax.
由恶性疟原虫和间日疟原虫引起的感染占全球疟疾负担的90%以上。在自然感染期间,接触疟原虫会引发免疫反应,人们普遍认为这种免疫力不仅具有阶段特异性,还具有物种特异性。然而,不同疟原虫物种中各种抗原的部分基因组相似性增加了特定抗原水平上免疫交叉反应的可能性。使用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)对从津巴布韦恶性疟原虫传播地区的常住儿童中采集的血清样本进行筛查,以检测其针对恶性疟原虫配子体抗原Pfs48/45和Pfs48/45的间日疟原虫同源物Pvs48/45的抗体反应性。使用蛋白质印迹法进一步确认针对Pfs48/45和Pvs48/45蛋白的特异性抗体反应性。使用泛疟原虫聚合酶链反应(PCR)和巢式PCR来确认疟原虫物种感染情况。发现27%(49/181)的参与者Pfs48/45血清呈阳性,并且这些Pfs48/45阳性血清中的73%(n = 36)也显示出与Pvs48/45的反应性。ELISA显示的免疫交叉反应性也通过使用一组随机选择的23个Pfs48/45和Pvs48/45 ELISA阳性样本进行蛋白质印迹分析得到了证实。对从36个对Pfs48/45和Pvs48/45抗原ELISA反应均呈阳性的样本中随机选择的27个血液样本进行巢式PCR分析,证实感染了恶性疟原虫,除了一个样本同时显示间日疟原虫和恶性疟原虫PCR阳性外,普遍未检测到间日疟原虫。我们对来自津巴布韦一个主要为恶性疟原虫传播地区的血清样本的研究表明,存在与Pvs48/45的免疫交叉反应性,从而增加了部分物种交叉反应性免疫以及在恶性疟原虫和间日疟原虫共同感染期间可能存在免疫交叉增强的可能性。