Data from: An antibody screen of a Plasmodium vivax antigen library identifies novel merozoite proteins associated with clinical protection

Background. Elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria would be greatly
facilitated by the development of an effective vaccine. A comprehensive
and systematic characterization of antibodies to P. vivax antigens in
exposed populations is useful in guiding rational vaccine design.
Methodology/Principal Findings. In this study, we investigated antibodies
to a large library of P. vivax entire ectodomain merozoite proteins in 2
Asia-Pacific populations, analysing the relationship of antibody levels
with markers of current and cumulative malaria exposure, and socioeconomic
and clinical indicators. 29 antigenic targets of natural immunity were
identified. Of these, 12 highly-immunogenic proteins were strongly
associated with age and thus cumulative lifetime exposure in Solomon
Islanders (P<0.001-0.027). A subset of 6 proteins, selected on the
basis of immunogenicity and expression levels, were used to examine
antibody levels in plasma samples from a population of young Papua New
Guinean children with well-characterized individual differences in
exposure. This analysis identified a strong association between reduced
risk of clinical disease and antibody levels to P12, P41, and a novel
hypothetical protein that has not previously been studied, PVX_081550 (IRR
0.46-0.74; P<0.001-0.041). Conclusion/Significance. These data
emphasize the benefits of an unbiased screening approach in identifying
novel vaccine candidate antigens. Functional studies are now required to
establish whether PVX_081550 is a key component of the naturally-acquired
protective immune response, a biomarker of immune status, or both.