Characterization ofthehumoral immuneresponse in Plasmodiumfalciparum malaria. II.IgGsubclass levels of anti-P. fakiparum antibodies indifferent sera

SUMMARY TheIgGsubclass levels ofanti-Plasmodium falciparum antibodies inhumanserawere determined inELISAwithmonoclonal mouseantibodies specific forthehumanIgG subclasses asanalytical reagents. Theparasite antigen wasa trophozoite/schizont enriched preparation ofinvitro cultivated P.falciparum. Serumsamples werefrom Swedish malaria patients andadult Liberians. Parasite specific antibodies werefound in allfoursubclasses. Relatively elevated levels ofIgG1antibodies werefoundbothin Swedish patients andintheLiberians. Relative totheLiberians, high IgG2antibody levels wereseeninmostSwedish patients. InLiberian serabutnotinthose fromSwedish patients elevated IgG3levels werefound. IntwoSwedish patients followed consecutively foraperiod of15weeks, elevated levels ofIgG1andIgG3antibodies wereseenafter relapse. Nodifferences between thegroups inregard tothelevels ofIgG4antibodies were noticed. Thedifferences between theSwedish patients andtheLiberians werealso inpart reflected bydifferences inthetotal amounts ofthefour IgGsubclasses.