Role of macrophages in experimental malaria: I. Development of immunobioassay indicators

The role of macrophages in immunogenic mechanisms of malaria was studied. The first part of the study aimed at development of indicators for assessing immunobioassay. Accordingly, data on the natural course of lethal Plasmodium berghei infection in mice were collected, and baseline estimates of a set of indicators were made. The indicators along with their estimated means are: prepatent period (PP), 2.57 +/- 0.06 days; survival period (SP), 17.63 +/- 0.29 days; median survival day (MSD), 17.20 days; and parasite density 24 h before death (K), 3582.6 infected RBC/10(4)RBCs. The probable role of immunogenic mechanisms judged indirectly by course of parasitaemia in different phases is discussed.