Circumsporozoite Antibody as a Serologic Marker of Plasmodium Falciparum Transmission

Abstract

In a longitudinal study of a malaria-endemic village in southeastern Thailand, circumsporozoite (CS) antibody to sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine its usefulness as a seroepidemiologic marker of malaria transmission. The CS anti-(NANP)n antibody level and prevalence during a 25-month period paralleled the pattern of seasonal transmission consistent with conventional parasitologic and entomologic measurements. The prevalence and level of antibody decreased during the non-transmission wet season, and increased over a 1-2-month transition period between the end of monsoon rains and the onset of dry conditions, an interval of maximum vector activity. Antibody increased with age in the population. The prevalence of antibody to the asexual blood stage as measured by conventional indirect fluorescent antibody assay did not coincide with changes in transmission and was sustained throughout the study period. Thus, CS antibody appeared to reflect the relative population exposure to mosquito inoculation of P. falciparum sporozoites and provided a useful measure of malaria transmission dynamics.

Multiclonal asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections predict a reduced risk of malaria disease in a Tanzanian population

“…The association between multiclonal infections and protection may reflect a higher level of previous exposure in protected individuals. Antibodies against circumsporozoite protein (CSP), considered the best available serological marker of exposure [20,21], were higher in children with parasites, but were not associated with the number of clones (Table 1), confirming findings in a recent report [22], and suggesting that exposure may not be the only factor which affects the diversity of P. falciparum infections. Here anti-CSP levels followed previous age profiles [23] and correlated to anti-P. falciparum (crude) specific IgG levels previously measured [16], but in contrast to anti-P. falciparum (crude) specific IgE levels [16], none of these two antibodies were associated with risk of subsequent malaria.…”

Memory B-Cell and Antibody Responses Induced by Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoite Immunization

“…Indeed, CSP antibodies can be used to assess P. falciparum transmission dynamics in a naturally exposed population [36]. However, although humoral immune responses during CPS-immunization are efficiently generated, there was no association between the magnitude of humoral responses to CSP, LSA-1, AMA-1, or MSP-1 or any combination of those antigens and protection from challenge infection.…”

Research priorities for the development and implementation of serological tools for malaria surveillance

“…There is some evidence that host genetics affect antibody responses to some malarial antigens [8,48,90-96], and this will need to be considered when using sero-surveillance among genetically diverse populations. Co-morbidity, including HIV infection [97,98] and malnutrition [99,100], might reduce seroconversion rates.…”