LYMPHOCYTE MITOGENIC FACTOR IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH FALCIPARUM-MALARIA

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 29  (2) , 198-203
Abstract
To test for the presence of a lymphocyte mitogenic factor in malaria, sera were obtained from 10 patients with malaria (9 with falciparum [Plasmodium falciparum] and one with vivax [P. vivax]) and 10 noninfected controls. The sera from the malarial patients caused an increased blastogenesis in mouse splenic lymphocyte cultures and inhibited hemagglutination between lipid A-coated erythrocytes and lipid A antibodies. None of the sera were positive using the Limulus amebocyte lysate test. Patients with falciparum malaria probably have a circulating mitogen which cross-reacts with endotoxin. Alternate explanations must be considered, including an hypothesis that antiglobulins and/or immune complexes in the sera of malarial patients both caused the blastogenesis of mouse spleen cells and inhibited hemagglutination to lipid A antibodies.

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