Quantitation of red cell membrane associated immunoglobulin in children with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia

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Abstract
Erythrocyte-associated IgG was measured on washed red cells from 26 children with P. falciparum parasitemia using an immunoradiometric assay. The values obtained were compared with 15 age-matched controls living in the same area who did not have malaria. The amount of red cell-associated IgG was related to the Hg concentration, degree of parasitemia and serum Ig level. The mean red cell-associated Ig for patients with malaria was 629 molecules/red cell (range 215-1770) which was significantly higher than the control group, who had a mean of 395 molecules/red cell (range 190-930). A statistically significant correlation was established between red cell-associated IgG and the degree of anemia in the infected patients. In contrast, there was no relationship between the red cell-associated IgG and the degree of parasitemia or the serum IG level. An immunological mechanism may be involved in the anemia associated with malarial infections.