RESUMO
The antibody response to the C-terminal 19-kD fragment of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP1-19) was investigated in groups of subjects living in areas of Brazil with different levels of malaria transmission. The prevalence and the levels of IgG to PfMSP1-19 increased with the time of exposure and were positively correlated with the absence of clinical symptoms in parasitemic patients. The frequency of positive response and the mean level of IgG were higher in areas where malaria prevalence was more intense, especially among asymptomatic patients. The serum absorbance values of the IgG1 isotype were significantly higher among subjects with long-term exposure and in asymptomatic infections. These data suggest a protective role of IgG1 in naturally acquired immunity in spite of the unstable transmission levels in the Brazilian Amazon.