The Plasmodium falciparum protein VAR2CSA is a critical mediator of placental malaria, and VAR2CSA antibodies (IgGs) are important to protect pregnant women. Although infrequently detected outside pregnancy, VAR2CSA IgGs were reported in men and children from Colombia and Brazil and in select African populations. These findings raise questions about the specificity of VAR2CSA IgGs and the mechanisms by which they are acquired outside pregnancy. Here we review the data on VAR2CSA IgGs in men and children from different malaria-endemic regions. We discuss experimental factors that may affect interpretation of the serological data and consider the biological relevance of VAR2CSA IgGs in non-pregnant populations. We propose potential mechanisms for the acquisition of VARCSA IgGs outside of pregnancy. We identify knowledge gaps and research priorities.

该恶性疟原虫VAR2CSA蛋白是胎盘疟疾的重要介质，VAR2CSA抗体（IgG）对于保护孕妇很重要。尽管在怀孕后很少发现VAR2CSA IgG，但在哥伦比亚和巴西的男性和儿童以及部分非洲人群中报告了VAR2CSA IgG。这些发现引起了关于VAR2CSA IgGs的特异性及其在妊娠外获得的机制的疑问。在这里，我们回顾了来自不同疟疾流行地区的男性和儿童中VAR2CSA IgG的数据。我们讨论了可能影响血清学数据解释的实验因素，并考虑了非妊娠人群中VAR2CSA IgG的生物学相关性。我们提出了在怀孕后获得VARCSA IgG的潜在机制。我们确定知识差距和研究重点。