We used eight VSA PAM -specific monoclonal IgG1 antibodies generated as described elsewhere (3; 4) . VSA PAM is defined here as IE surface-expressed VSA, which are significantly better recognized by plasma IgG from P. falciparumexposed multigravidae than from sympatric men, and where the recognition by plasma IgG from these men is not significantly different from recognition by plasma IgG from nonexposed controls. In contrast, typical non-PAM VSAs are better recognized by plasma IgG from P. falciparumexposed adults than from nonexposed donors, without marked sex-dependent differences. Seven of the monoclonal antibodies used here are specific for inter-clonally variant epitopes in either the DBL3-X or the DBL5-ε domain of VAR2CSA (3) . The exact specificity of the last antibody (PAM1·4) remains undefined, but it appears to recognize a conformational, and possibly discontinuous, epitope in VAR2CSA that is difficult to reproduce in recombinant constructs (3) . PAM1·4 recognizes VSA PAM expressed by most or all P. falciparum genotypes, whereas the VAR2CSA DBL3-X epitope recognized by PAM8·1 is present in some, but not all P. falciparum clones (3). Both PAM1·4 and PAM8·1 can opsonize VSA PAM -expressing IEs for phagocytosis and interfere with their adhesion to CSA (Barfod et al. in preparation) .