SERUM COMPLEMENT LEVELS IN ASYMPTOMATIC PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM PARASITEMIC CHILDREN

Twenty eight (42%) of 67 afebrile children (mean age 6.3+/-3.6 years) undergoing various minor elective surgeries were slide positive for ma laria parasitaemia. All infected subjects were given oral chloroquine therapy before and after blood samples were collected, Pre- and post-t reatment serum complement (C4, C3, Bf and CH50 levels were evaluated i n 15 of the subjects who had parasite densities greater than or equal to 500/mu l, These were compared with the levels in 15 age/sex matched children who had acute malaria, as well as with the levels in 15 age/ sex matched, healthy non infected controls, Significant consumption of C4 was observed in both the asymptomatic (p<0.05) and symptomatic (p< 0.05) subjects. The mean serum levels of C4 were significantly higher in the asymptomatic, when compared with the symptomatic subjects (p<0. 01), and the healthy controls (p<0.05), The distribution of classical pathway complement haemolytic titres in the groups studied was the sam e as that of the C4 levels. It is concluded that the forth component o f the classical complement pathway may play a protective role in asymp tomatic malaria.