Cross-reactive inhibitory antibody and memory B cell responses to variant strains of Duffy binding protein II at post-Plasmodium vivax infection

Duffy binding protein region II (DBPII) is considered a strong potential vaccine candidate of blood-stage P. vivax. However, the highly polymorphic nature of this protein often misdirects immune responses, leading them to be strain-specific. Details of cross-reactive humoral immunity to DBPII variants have therefore become an important focus for the development of broadly protective vaccines. Here, cross-reactive humoral immunity against a panel of Thai DBPII variants (DBL-THs) was demonstrated in immunized BALB/c mice and P. vivax patients, by in vitro erythrocyte-binding inhibition assay. Sera from immunized animals showed both strain-transcending (anti-DBL-TH2 and -TH4) and strain-specific (anti-DBL-TH5, -TH6 and -TH9) binding to DBL-TH variants. Using anti-DBL-TH sera at 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the homologous strain, anti-DBL-TH2 sera showed cross inhibition to heterologous DBL-TH strains, whereas anti-DBL-TH5 sera exhibited only strain-specific inhibition. In P. vivax patients, 6 of 15 subjects produced and maintained cross-reactive anti-DBL-TH inhibitory antibodies through the 1-year post-infection timepoint. Cross-reactive memory B cell (MBC) responses to DBL-TH variants were analyzed in subjects recovered from P. vivax infection (RC). The plasma samples from 5 RC subjects showed broad inhibition. However, MBC-derived antibodies of these patients did not reveal cross-inhibition. Altogether, broadly anti-DBP variant inhibitory antibodies developed and persisted in P. vivax infections. However, the presence of cross-reactive anti-DBL-TH inhibitory function post-infection was not related with MBC responses to these variants. More detailed investigation of long-lasting, broadly protective antibodies to DBPII will guide the design of vivax malaria vaccines.