[Immunoglobulin-lipoprotein complexes during P. chabaudi infection]

Immunoglobulin-lipoprotein complexes have been investigated in the course of P. chabaudi acute infection of Swiss mice. Serum ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient was used to demonstrate the presence of immunoglobulins in the enriched lipoprotein fraction of density lower than 1100. The levels of lipoprotein-bound immunoglobulins (Ig-Lp) were measured using the rate-nephelometric Immuno-Chemistry-System. IgM-Lp and IgG-Lp were significantly increased at day 9 and reached a peak at day 13 post-infection. From day 13 to day 16 they dramatically decreased. This kinetic effect was similar to that of non-specific circulating immune complexes detected by the [125I]Clq binding assay. A radioimmuno-precipitation-PEG-assay (RIPEGAssay) with [125I]Lp revealed the highest Lp precipitation with day 13 post-infection mouse sera compared to controls. Similar results were recorded when control sera were 8 times as concentrated in order to obtain Ig levels identical in both control and experimental sera. Part of the lipoprotein-bound immunoglobulins were demonstrated to be anti-Lp antibodies by the way of the RIPEGAssay using F(ab')2 fragments from infected mouse sera. Moreover, the [125I]Clq bound to the Ig-Lp complexes isolated from day 13 mouse sera. The present data suggest that the alteration of lipid metabolism which characterizes malaria infection could lead to the complexation of lipoproteins to immunoglobulins.