NORMAL FREQUENCY OF ANTI-THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES IN HYPERENDEMIC AREAS OF MALARIA - RELEVANCE TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF AUTOANTIBODY FORMATION IN MALARIA

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (4) , 323-328
Abstract
Sera from 280 inhabitants from the Upper-Volta villages of Donse and Oursi were screened for the presence of antithyroglobulin antibodies (anti-Tg Ab) by the classical passive hemagglutination technique. Precipitant malarial antibodies and immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) levels were concomitantly evaluated. Although 90% of the individuals studied had antibodies against malaria, a disease known to be associated with autoantibody (auto-Ab) production, a normal frequency of anti-Tg Ab was observed in both Donse and Oursi villages. This normal frequency of anti-Tg Ab contrasting to the previously reported increased frequency of other auto-Ab in individuals exposed to malaria, is additional evidence that the auto-Ab production that takes place during malaria infection is not the result of a generalized and nonspecific activation of autoreactive cells by parasite derived mitogens.