Naturally Acquired Transmission-Blocking Immunity Against Different Strains of Plasmodium vivax in a Malaria-Endemic Area in Thailand
Issued Date
2024-02-14
Resource Type
eISSN
15376613
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85185344313
Pubmed ID
37943633
Journal Title
The Journal of infectious diseases
Volume
229
Issue
2
Start Page
567
End Page
575
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
The Journal of infectious diseases Vol.229 No.2 (2024) , 567-575
Suggested Citation
Thongpoon S., Roobsoong W., Nguitragool W., Chotirat S., Tsuboi T., Takashima E., Cui L., Ishino T., Tachibana M., Miura K., Sattabongkot J. Naturally Acquired Transmission-Blocking Immunity Against Different Strains of Plasmodium vivax in a Malaria-Endemic Area in Thailand. The Journal of infectious diseases Vol.229 No.2 (2024) , 567-575. 575. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiad469 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/97340
Title
Naturally Acquired Transmission-Blocking Immunity Against Different Strains of Plasmodium vivax in a Malaria-Endemic Area in Thailand
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human immunity triggered by natural malaria infections impedes parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes, leading to interest in transmission-blocking vaccines. However, immunity characteristics, especially strain specificity, remain largely unexplored. We investigated naturally acquired transmission-blocking immunity (TBI) against Plasmodium vivax, a major malaria parasite. METHODS: Using the direct membrane-feeding assay, we assessed TBI in plasma samples and examined the role of antibodies by removing immunoglobulins through protein G/L adsorption before mosquito feeding. Strain specificity was evaluated by conducting a direct membrane-feeding assay with plasma exchange. RESULTS: Blood samples from 47 patients with P vivax were evaluated, with 37 plasma samples successfully infecting mosquitoes. Among these, 26 showed inhibition before immunoglobulin depletion. Despite substantial immunoglobulin removal, 4 samples still exhibited notable inhibition, while 22 had reduced blocking activity. Testing against heterologous strains revealed some plasma samples with broad TBI and others with strain-specific TBI. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that naturally acquired TBI is mainly mediated by antibodies, with possible contributions from other serum factors. The transmission-blocking activity of plasma samples varied by the tested parasite strain, suggesting single polymorphic or multiple targets for naturally acquired TBI. These observations improve understanding of immunity against P vivax and hold implications for transmission-blocking vaccine development.