ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM MALARIA

Plasma levels of antibodies against phosphatidylinositol (PI), phospha tidylcholine (PC) and cardiolipin (CL) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients from malaria endemic areas of Sudan and The Gambia. Some Sudanese adults produced IgM antibodies aga inst all three types of phospholipids (PL) during an acute Plasmodium falciparum infection. The anti-PL antibody titre returned to preinfect ion levels in most of the donors 30 days after the disease episode. Ig G titres against PI, PC and CL were low. In Gambian children with mala ria, IgM antibody titres against PI and PC were significantly higher i n those with severe malaria than in those with mild malaria. These res ults show that a proportion of malaria patients produce anti-PL antibo dies during infection and that titres of these antibodies are associat ed with the severity of disease.