Potential Biomarkers and Their Applications for Rapid and Reliable Detection of Malaria

Table 1

A brief summary of diagnostic antigenic markers of malaria.

Name of biomarker	Chemical nature	Localization	Salient features	References
pLDH	Homotetrameric protein with each monomer of 34 kDa	Inside infected RBCs	Presence of five amino acid residue insertions (DKEWN) in active site loop.; Ability to actively utilize synthetic cofactor APAD^+.; Reduced pyruvate substrate inhibition.	[16, 17, 25]
HRP II	A 35 kDa protein	Secreted in serum of infected patient	Unique tandem repeats (Ala-His-His-Ala-Ala-Asp).; 310-Helix conformation when bound to heme.; Secreted in abundance in serum, CSF, and urine of infected patients.	[49, 56]
Hemozoin	β-Hematin	Inside digestive vacuole of parasite	Consists of Fe(III)PPIX centrosymmetric dimmers linked by hydrogen bonds.; Accumulates in the digestive vacuole of parasite and appears as cluster as observed under electron microscope.	[69, 75]
Aldolase	Homotetrameric protein with each subunit of 40 kDa	Inside infected RBCs	High sequence diversity from host and has potential as a drug target.; Used for following response to therapy as it is detected only at high parasitemia.	[77, 111, 112]
pGDH	Homohexameric protein, with each monomer being 49.5 kDa	Inside infected RBCs	Plays a role in parasite’s redox metabolism.; Not found in host RBC making it a potent biomarker.; Appears throughout the erythrocytic cycle.	[13, 86]