Characterization of the humoral immune response in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. I. Estimation of antibodies to P. falciparum or human erythrocytes by means of microELISA.

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to estimate disease related antibodies in sera from malaria patients or individuals living in malaria endemic areas. As antigen, Percoll enriched fractions (mainly late trophozoites, schizonts) from Plasmodium falciparum in vitro cultures were used. An ELISA with ghosts from normal human red blood cells (RBC) was performed in parallel. One hundred and seventy-five sera were tested for their reactivity with either one of the two antigens. Seven sera from patients with acute P. falciparum infection were negative. Most of these had been taken very early in infection and consecutive samples taken later usually were positive. The antibodies reacting with the P. falciparum antigen had a high parasite specificity as indicated by inhibition and absorption experiments. Many sera also had elevated levels of antibodies specific for RBC antigens. A correlation, most pronounced in the IgM system, was also seen between the anti-RBC and the anti-P. falciparum antibody levels.