Dataset Information

Stage-specific Plasmodium falciparum immune responses in afebrile adults and children living in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Asymptomatic carriage of Plasmodium falciparum is widespread in adults and children living in malaria-endemic countries. This study identified the prevalence of malaria parasites and the corresponding levels of naturally acquired anti-parasite antibody levels in afebrile adults living in two communities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. METHODS:Two cross-sectional studies conducted in January and February 2016 and repeated in July and August 2016 recruited subjects aged between 6 and 75 years from high parasite prevalence (Obom) and low parasite prevalence (Asutsuare) communities. Whole blood (5 ml) was collected from each volunteer, plasma was aliquoted and frozen until needed. An aliquot (10 µl) of the blood was used to prepare thick and thin blood smears, 100 µl was preserved in Trizol and the rest was separated into plasma and blood cells and each stored at -?20 °C until needed. Anti-MSP3 and Pfs230 antibody levels were measured using ELISA. RESULTS:Asexual parasite and gametocyte prevalence were higher in Obom than Asutsuare. Antibody (IgG, IgG1, IgG3, IgM) responses against the asexual parasite antigen MSP3 and gametocyte antigen Pfs230 were higher in Obom during the course of the study except for IgM responses against Pfs230, which was higher in Asutsuare than in Obom during the rainy season. Antibody responses in Asutsuare were more significantly associated with age than the responses measured in Obom. CONCLUSION:The pattern of antibody responses measured in people living in the high and low malaria transmission setting was similar. All antibody responses measured against the asexual antigen MSP3 increased, however, IgG and IgG1 responses against gametocyte antigen Pfs230 decreased in moving from the dry to the peak season in both sites. Whilst asexual and gametocyte prevalence was similar between the seasons in the low transmission setting, in the high transmission setting asexual parasite prevalence increased but gametocyte prevalence decreased in the rainy season relative to the dry season.

SUBMITTER: Acquah FK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7011432 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Stage-specific Plasmodium falciparum immune responses in afebrile adults and children living in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Acquah Festus K FK Lo Aminata C AC Akyea-Mensah Kwadwo K Abagna Hamza B HB Faye Babacar B Theisen Michael M Gyan Ben A BA Amoah Linda E LE

Malaria journal 20200210 1

<h4>Background</h4>Asymptomatic carriage of Plasmodium falciparum is widespread in adults and children living in malaria-endemic countries. This study identified the prevalence of malaria parasites and the corresponding levels of naturally acquired anti-parasite antibody levels in afebrile adults living in two communities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.<h4>Methods</h4>Two cross-sectional studies conducted in January and February 2016 and repeated in July and August 2016 recruited subjects ...[more]

PMID: 32041620

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Project description:BackgroundNatural exposure to gametocytes can result in the development of immunity against the gametocyte by the host as well as genetic diversity in the gametocyte. This study evaluated the quantity and quality of natural immune responses against a gametocyte antigen, Pfs230 as well as the prevalence and diversity of gametocytes circulating in children living in two communities in southern Ghana.MethodsWhole blood (2.5 ml) was collected from 137 non-febrile school children aged between 6 and 12 years old quarterly for a 6-month period. A drop of blood was used to prepare thick and thin blood films for parasite prevalence and density estimation. Subsequently, stored plasma samples were used in ELISAs assays to measure antibody responses and avidity against Pfs230. RNA was extraction from Trizol preserved packed cells and subsequently converted to complementary DNA (cDNA) which was used for reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) to determine gametocytes prevalence and diversity.ResultsGametocyte carriage in the peak season (July) determined by Pfg377 RT-PCR was 49.2% in Obom and 22.2% in Abura, and was higher than that determined by microscopy. Gametocyte diversity was low and predominated by the same allele at both sites. The relative avidity index for antibodies measured in Abura was higher than that recorded in Obom at all time points although Pfs230 IgG concentrations were significantly high (P?<?0.0001) in Obom than in Abura at all time points. The IgG responses in Obom were significantly higher than that in Abura during the peak season.ConclusionNaturally induced antibody responses against Pfs230 in children living in both high perennial and low seasonal malaria transmission settings reduced significantly in moving from the peak to the off-peak season. The relative avidity of antibodies against Pfs230 in Abura was significantly higher than those measured in Obom, despite having lower IgG levels. Very limited diversity was identified in the gametocytes circulating in both Obom and Abura.

Dataset Information

Stage-specific Plasmodium falciparum immune responses in afebrile adults and children living in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Publications

Stage-specific Plasmodium falciparum immune responses in afebrile adults and children living in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

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