Antibodies to intercellular adhesion molecule 1-binding Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1-DBLβ are biomarkers of protective immunity to malaria in a cohort of young children from Papua New Guinea

Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) mediates parasite sequestration to the cerebral microvasculature via binding of DBLβ domains to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) and is associated with severe cerebral malaria. In a cohort of 187 young children from Papua New Guinea (PNG), we examined baseline levels of antibody to the ICAM1-binding PfEMP1 domain, DBLβ3 PF11_0521 , in comparison to four control antigens, including NTS-DBLα and CIDR1 domains from another group A variant and a group B/C variant.