Immunoblot characterization of IgG, IgM and IgE antibodies elicited during the course of fatal and non-fatal infections of Plasmodium berghei in DBA/2 and Balb/c mice

When infected with the CRS line of Plasmodium berghei ANKA, DBA/2 mice died of a fulminating infection around day 20 post-infection whereas Balb/c mice had parasitaemic crises around day 15 then low or subpatent parasitaemias until approximately day 73, when sterile immunity is believed to have supervened. Immunoblots for parasite-specific immunoglobulins G, M and E were made from the sera taken during the course of infection in each mouse strain. Although both strains elicited antibodies to a 128-kDa antigen by day 8, this was solely of the IgG class in the DBA/2 but of both IgG and IgM in the Balb/ c. Crisis and subpatency were associated with the appearance of IgG and IgM antibodies to 74-and 80-kDa antigens. The most vigorous immune response was observed in sera from the Balb/c mice on day 73, with antibodies to many antigens of 19–180 kDa; IgE antibody (to antigens of 38 and 45 kDa) was then evident for the first time.