Mapping and comparison of the B-cell epitopes recognized on the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein by immune Colombians and immunized Aotus monkeys.

Sera from 14 of 20 donors, from a malaria-endemic region of the Colombian Pacific coast, that had antibodies to P. vivax sporozoites reacted with the epitope. Sera from 23 of 65 donors from the community of Zacarias had antibodies to the epitope. In this group, 39 had antibodies to the circumsporozoite protein N-terminal region (residues 20-96), which contains the epitope. Fewer sera (6 of 56) from donors from the community of Bajo Calima had antibodies to the epitope. In this group, 11 had antibodies to the N-terminal region (residues 20-96). Based on reactivity of overlapping peptides spanning the N- and C-terminal regions outside the central repeat region of the CS protein, the authors conclude that the epitope sequence contains an immunodominant epitope.