HLA alleles in relation to specific immunity to Liver Stage Antigen-1 from Plasmodium falciparum in Gabon

Cellular responses to synthetic peptides from the Liver Stage Antigen-1 (LSA-1) from Plasmodium falciparum were determined in 229 Gabonese children. HLA class I and II typing (by PCR-SSP and -RFLP, respectively) revealed that HLA-A*19, -B*17 (and -B*70), -DRB1*05, -DQA1*0102, -DQB1*0602 and -DPB1*0402 were the most frequent types or alleles at each locus. The DQB1*0201 and DQB1*0301 alleles were present at a higher frequency among IL-6 and IFN-gamma responders to the LSA-Rep and LSA-CTL peptides, respectively, and a higher proportion of these responders carried A*19 or B*53. The DRB1*06 type was positively related to the IL-10 production in response to the LSA-CTL peptide, and responders presented mainly A*2. The specificity A*10 was negatively associated with the cellular response to the LSA-J peptide. These results suggest a degree of genetic regulation of specific immune responses by HLA-A, operating at the pre-erythrocytic stage of development of P. falciparum in this Central African population.