Relation between hepatitis B carrier status and antibody against synthetic Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte surface (pf155 - RESA) antigen

ABSTRACT

A survey on Plasmodium infection was carried out in gold mine camps located in the Brazilian Amazon. Antibody against P. falciparum ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) was quantified by an enzyme-immunoassay in order to assess P. falciparum exposure. Hepatitis B, a common infection in this area, was also investigated by serologic markers. Among 520 sampled subjects, 517 (99.4 percent) admitted previous symptomatic malaria, 106 (20.4 percent) had positive thick smears for malaria, 82.9 percent had HBV markers, and 7.1 percent were HBsAg positive. Anti-RESA titers was significantly lower in HBV carriers than in people with resolved HBV infection suggesting that the anti-RESA immune response could be supressed by HBV carrier status. Moreover, immunedeficient responses to both infections may take place in some subjects causing concomitant lower anti-RESA response and incapacity to clear HBV