Antigenic variation and immunity to Plasmodium knowlesi: Antibodies which induce antigenic variation and antibodies which destroy parasites

Abstract

2 types of antibody response specific for intrastrain antigenic variants of P. knowlesi can be detected in the serum of M. mulatta. One induces a change in the parasite serotype, the other is parasiticidal. The rate of synthesis of both types of antibodies to new variants increases as the host develops protective immunity and their rate of synthesis relative to one another also changes. Both these effects are possibly important in determining the level of parasitaemia.