Serum immunoglobulins A and M in sickle cell patients in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Serum immunoglobulins A (IgA) and M (IgM) titres were determined in 25 patients with sickle sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) in steady state and in 25 age and sex-matched normal controls. The mean serum immunoglobulins A and M titres (221 +/- 65.2 and 177.4 +/- 62.7 mg/dl respectively) were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in the patient group than in the controls (148.3 +/- 55.6 and 132.6 +/- 45.9 mg/dl respectively). Above the age of 10 years however, no statistically significant difference exists between the mean serum IgM titres of the patient and control groups. Chronic haemolysis and state of splenic function seem to play some role in the determination of serum immunoglobulin titres in sickle cell patients. The study shows that the proneness of SS patients to infections cannot be explained on the premise of low titres of serum immunoglobulins alone.