Figure 6.

Analysis of the platelet-mediated clumping phenotype throughout the different stages of the intraerythrocytic life cycle of P. falciparum. Aliquots of a synchronised HB3 culture were taken every eight hours and assessed for in vitro platelet-mediated clumping at 10% Ht and 1% Pt. Platelet-rich plasma from the same donor was used during the seven assays that were carried out to complete the life cycle. Representative pictures of Giemsa-stained thin smears of the HB3 culture aliquots analysed in each assay are shown below the graph. The clumping frequency is expressed as the percentage of IE in clumps out of at least 500 IE counted. Clumping frequency values in the graphs are the mean and standard deviation of three wet preparations counted from each time point. The graph shows the representative results of one out of three replicates of the experiment done with platelet-rich plasma from different donors.