Red cell associated IgG in patients suffering from Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Quantitation of red cell associated IgG in 62 Gambian patients with P. falciparum malaria and 23 normal adult controls was carried out, using a purified 125I-labelled anti IgG. The number of IgG molecules per red cell was found to be between 90-897 molecules for patients with malaria and 100-233 for controls. 12 patients with malaria had raised levels of RBC associated IgG. There was no correlation between severity of anaemia and RBC associated IgG levels in patients with malaria nor was there a correlation between reticulocytosis and RBC associated IgG levels. It is concluded that although immune haemolysis may occur in some patients with malaria who have high levels of IgG or activated complement components on their red cells, other factors such as marrow suppression or ineffective erythropoiesis play an important role in the pathogenesis of the post-malaria anaemia.