Lymphocyte proliferation and antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage antigen-1 in a highland area of Kenya with seasonal variation in malaria transmission

Lymphocyte proliferation and antibody responses to five peptides corresponding to the N- and C-terminal non-repeat and central repeat regions of Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage antigen-1 (LSA-1) were examined in residents of a highland area of Kenya where malaria transmission is episodic and varies with rainfall. The frequency of lymphocyte proliferation responses (stimulation index > 2) by children (persons less than or equal to6 years old) and adults (persons 18 years old) was similar and did not differ significantly across seasons. In contrast. the proportion of individuals with IgG antibodies to LSA-1 peptides was higher in the rainy than dry season. and the frequency of these responses was greater for adults than children (39.4% versus 18.7% during the period of high transmission; P = 0.009). Antibodies to LSA-1 were primarily of the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses, and these also varied with season (30.1% and 32.5% of individuals had IgG1 and IgG3 in the rainy season versus none and 10.9% in the dry season). There was no significant difference in the time to re-infection between groups of persons with or without IgG antibody or lymphocyte proliferation responses to LSA-1 peptides. These data indicate that age and transmission intensity independently affect IgG antibody responses to LSA-1 but do not influence lymphocyte proliferation in this highland area where malaria transmission is highly variable.