A specific s-antigen of plasmodium falciparum is expressed in a proportion of primary isolates in brazil, thailand and papua new guinea

Abstract

The expression by Plasmodium falciparum of a specific S-antigen has been examined in primary isolates in different regions of the world using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes an epitope within a known repeated amino acid sequence. The epitope was expressed by a small proportion of primary isolates in each of Brazil, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, demonstrating that this S-antigen gene is widespread. The data are consistent with the possibility that the occurrence of P. falciparum strains expressing a particular S-antigen is periodic, related to the duration of immunity against that antigen in a given human population. © Oxford University Press.