Anti-Plasmodium vivax duffy binding protein antibodies measure exposure to malaria in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (DBP) is functionally important in the erythrocyte invasion process and provides a logical target for vaccine-mediated immunity. In the current study, we demonstrated that DBP is naturally immunogenic in different populations of the Brazilian Amazon, and the proportions of DBP IgG positive subjects increased with exposure to malaria, reaching a peak in those subjects with long-term exposure (> 15 years) in the Amazon area. This profile of antibody response was significantly different from the one observed for the P. vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP119), which was relatively uniform in areas with markedly different levels of malaria transmission. In a small sample of adults with symptomless P. vivax infection, we could not detect any significant correlation between antibodies against these P. vivax proteins and asymptomatic infection. Our study provided an additional insight by demonstrating cumulative exposure as a determinant that acts independently of host age in generation of anti-DBP IgG response.