Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 65 (2), 152-156, 2012
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Natda Tonwong1, Jetsumon Sattabongkot2, Takafumi Tsuboi3, Hideyuki Iriko3,4, Satoru Takeo3, Jeeraphat Sirichaisinthop5, and Rachanee Udomsangpetch1,6,7*
1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Technology, and 6Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok; 2Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok; 5Vector Borne Disease Training Center, Saraburi; 7Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand; 3Cell-free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Ehime 790-8577; and 4Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori 683-8503, Japan
(Received August 26, 2011. Accepted December 27, 2011)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel: +662 201 5576, Fax: +662 246 1379, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SUMMARY: We identified naturally induced antibodies from malaria patients in Thailand and clarified the effect of the antibodies on gametocyte development. Fifty-nine percent of the Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood samples (17 of 29) fed to female Anopheles mosquitoes showed no oocyst infection. Seventeen percent of the samples (5 of 29) distorted the morphology and hampered the maturity of the gametocytes. A possible mechanism for the gametocyte inhibitory activity was shown by the binding of the plasma antibodies to live, immature, intraerythrocytic gametocytes during the incubation period. One hundred fifty-seven proteins specific to different gametocyte stages were explored to find the targets of the antisera that bound to the live gametocytes. However, no additional gametocyte transmission-blocking vaccine candidate was detected. Therefore, the development of alternative transmission-blocking vaccines in high-transmission areas should focus on the identification of more gametocyte antigens-inducing inhibitory antibodies that reduce gametocytemia.