RESUMEN
Introduction: in areas with intense perennial malaria transmission, limited data is available on the impact of environmental conditions especially rainfall on naturally acquired immunity against promising malaria vaccine candidates. For this reason, we have compared IgG antibody responses specific to Plasmodium spp. derived MSP3 and UB05 vaccine candidates, in plasma of children living in two areas of Cameroon differing in rainfall conditions. Methods: data about children less than 5 years old was collected during the years 2017 and 2018. Next malaria asymptomatic P. falciparum (Pf) infected children were selected following malaria test confirmation. MSP3 and UB05 specific IgG antibody responses were measured in participant´s plasma using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: interestingly, IgG antibody responses specific to UB05 were significantly higher (p<0.0001) in Pf-negative children when compared to their asymptomatic Pf-infected counterparts living in monomodal rainfall areas. In contrast, a significantly higher (p<0.0001) IgG response to MSP3 was observed instead in asymptomatic Pf-infected children in the same population. In addition, IgG responses specific to UB05 remained significantly higher in bimodal when compared to monomodal rainfall areas irrespective of children´s Pf infection status (p<0.0055 for Pf-positive and p<0.0001 for negative children). On the contrary, IgG antibody responses specific to MSP3 were significantly higher in bimodal relative to monomodal rainfall areas (P<0.0001) just for Pf-negative children. Conclusion: thus IgG antibody responses specific to UBO5 are a better correlate of naturally acquired immunity against malaria in Pf-negative Cameroonian children especially in monomodal rainfall areas.