Specific lysis of Plasmodium yoelii infected mouse erythrocytes with antibody and complement

An assay for complement-dependent antibody-mediated cytolysis of Plasmodium yoelii infected mouse erythrocytes was designed. By means of a rat hyperimmune serum to P. yoelii the presence of parasite associated antigens was demonstrated on erythrocytes from P. yoelii infected mice. Tests with such erythrocytes fractionated on Percoll gradients showed that the target antigens for the cytotoxic antibodies were confined to the surface of only infected erythrocytes containing late stages of the parasite. The cytotoxic antibodies were of IgG class.