Antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum antigens and the risk of clinical malaria in endemic populations

Evaluation of: Greenhouse B, Ho B, Hubbard A et al. Antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum antigens predict a higher risk of malaria but protection from symptoms once parasitemic. J. Infect. Dis. 204, 19-26 (2011). As the research for the development of a malaria vaccine becomes increasingly important, a thorough understanding of the protection afforded by antibodies against parasite antigens is essential. The factors affecting the protective ability of antibodies elicited by highly immunogenic malaria parasite antigens and their interaction have been investigated in a study of Ugandan children by Greenhouse and colleagues. Their interesting finding of the effect of prior exposure on the protection provided against symptomatic malaria and the importance of the results in the immuno-epidemiological studies are discussed in this article.