Changing patterns in the humoral immune response to malaria before, during, and after the application of control measures: a longitudinal study in the West African savanna

Abstract

A longitudinal seroimmunological investigation of malaria was performed as part of the WHO research project conducted in the northern part of Nigeria from 1970 to 1975. The project included a preintervention phase, an intervention phase with application of malaria control measures (spraying of residual insecticide and mass drug administration), and a postintervention phase. Serological observations were made on the total population of eight villages consisting of approximately 3000 persons. Six immunological parameters were studied, namely, the serum levels of IgG and IgM, the number of bands of precipitation for Plasmodium falciparum in the double diffusion (Ouchterlony) test, the titres of antibodies for P. falciparum and P. malariae in the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test, and the titres of agglutinating antibodies for P. falciparum by the indirect (passive) haemagglutination (IHA) test. The serological results were used to evaluate the impact on the humoral immune response of different levels of parasitaemia resulting, in the unprotected population, from natural factors such as seasons and ageing and in the protected population, from human intervention through the application of control measures and their interruption. The linkage by computer processing of the longitudinal data allowed analysis of the relationship between the results of a serological test in the same person at different surveys, and analysis of correlation between serological results and the concurrent parasitological findings. The correlation between parasitaemia and the results of the different serological tests at the same survey in the same person were also examined and analysed in terms of sensitivity and specificity of the tests.