Work

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Binding Antigen 175 and Clinical Outcome of Malaria in the Kassena-Nankana District

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: The Erythrocyte Binding Antigen 175 (EBA 175) is a 175 kDalton Plasmodium falciparum antigen which plays a major role in erythrocyte recognition by the parasite. It also induces antibodies which inhibit merozoite invasion. EBA 175 has been sequenced from FCR-3 and CAMP strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The sequences were identical in most parts of the gene, differences were apparent in the 423bp segment in the FCR-3 strain, the F-genotype, and the 342bp segment, the C-genotype. Parasite strains possess either one or the other segment and never both. The functions and potential effects of this dimorphism remain unclear. This study therefore investigated the relationship between this dimorphism and clinical outcome of malaria. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the genotypes of the parasite strains that exhibit this dimorphism in severe, mild and healthy controls of malaria from the Kassena Nankana District (KND), an area which had been earmarked for future vaccine trial. A total of 299 samples were analysed, 232 of these samples were positive with Plasmodium falciparum infections, these comprised 75 (32.2%), 76 (32.6%) and 81 (35.5%) samples of severe, mild and healthy controls of malaria respectively, were genotyped for the EBA-175 gene. The severe samples, had a distribution of 44 (58.66%), 24 (32%) and 7 (9.3%) of the F, C and CF EBA-175 genes respectively; the mild samples comprised, 42 (55.3%), 29 (38%), and 5 (6.6%) of the F, C and CF EBA-175 genes respectively; the healthy controls: 59 (72%), 21 (26%), and 13 (16%) of the F, C and CF EBA-175 genes respectively. A chi-square test revealed that the mixed genotype (CF) is significantly associated with severe malaria (p = 0.04; OR = 8.23, 95% CI = 1.048–64.7), whereas the F genotype is significantly associated with protection to severe malaria (p = 0.045; OR = 0.909, 95% CI = 0.819–1.008). The results therefore suggest that whilst the mixed genotype CF EBA-175 is associated with malaria severity, the F genotype of EBA-175 is protective. 13th International Congress on Infectious Diseases Abstracts (Oral Presentations)International Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 12Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive

Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2008.05.023

Authors: B. Egyir, C. Brown, M. Wilson, K. Koram

Institution: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research

Language: English

Topic: Malaria Research and Control

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,900