Antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidates in infants in an area of intense and perennial transmission: relationships with clinical malaria and with entomological inoculation rates

Abstract

Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G₁, IgG₃ and total IgG were assessed by immunoabsorbent assay in 198 infants from a Tanzanian village highly endemic for Plasmodium falciparum. Antibodies were measured against epitopes of the circumsporozoite protein (the repetitive epitope (NANP)₅₀ and a construct of the flanking regions (CS27IC)), the malaria vaccine SPf66, and two constructs of the merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1), a 19-kDa fragment from the C-terminal domain (MSP-1₁₉) and an N-terminal fragment spanning blocks 1–6 (H6-p190 M-1/6-H6). IgG₁ and total IgG titres showed similar age profiles, all decreasing for the first 2 months of life. Anti-(NANP)₅₀ titres remained very low throughout the first year of life, while anti-CS27IC antibody appeared to peak around 7 months of age. Only a slight tendency to increase with age was observed for levels of the other antibodies studied. IgG₃ titres except for H6-p190(1/6), were very low initially and remained very low throughout the first year of life. Clinical malaria incidence at the village dispensary was analysed prospectively in relation to antibody. No IgG₁ or total IgG titre showed protective effects, but low IgG₃ against p190(1/6) appeared to be a risk factor in some age groups. Given the large number of antibodies tested, this single indication of possible protection could merely be chance. There were no strong associations between antibody titres and entomologically assessed sporozoite exposure suggesting that transmission-reducing interventions may have little effect on antibody levels in such children.