Concentration and purification by magnetic separation of the erythrocytic stages of all human Plasmodium species

BACKGROUND: Parasite concentration methods facilitate molecular, biochemical and immunological research on the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium. In this paper, an adaptation of magnetic MACS(® )columns for the purification of human Plasmodium species is presented. This method was useful for the concentration/purification of either schizonts or gametocytes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The magnetic removal of non-parasitized red blood cells (in vivo and in vitro) using magnetic columns (MACS) was evaluated. This easy-to-use technique enriched schizonts and gametocytes from Plasmodium falciparum in vitro cultures with a very high degree of purity. In addition, all haemozoin-containing stages (schizonts and/or gametocytes) from the peripheral blood of infected patients could be concentrated using this method. This method is particularly useful for the concentration of non-falciparum species, which do not grow in culture and are otherwise difficult to obtain in large amounts.