Expression of Variant Surface Antigens by Plasmodium falciparum Parasites in the Peripheral Blood of Clinically Immune Pregnant Women Indicates Ongoing Placental Infection

Abstract
Placenta-sequestered Plasmodium falciparum parasites that cause pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) in otherwise clinically immune women express distinct variant surface antigens (VSA PAM ) not expressed by parasites in nonpregnant individuals. We report here that parasites from the peripheral blood of clinically immune pregnant women also express VSA PAM , making them a convenient source of VSA PAM expressors for PAM vaccine research.

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