IgG3 hinge region length polymorphism is associated with cerebral malaria in Ghanaian children.

Cerebral malaria may cause mortality or long-term neurological damage in children and several host genetic risk factors have been reported. Malarial-specific IgG3 antibodies are crucial to human immune response against malaria. The hinge region of IgG3 exhibits length polymorphism (L-long, M-medium, S-short alleles) which may influence its functionality. Here, we studied IgG3 hinge region length polymorphisms in 136 Ghanaian children with malaria. Using logistic regression models, we found children with the recessive MM allotype encoding medium IgG3 hinge region length had an increased risk (aOR=6.67; 95%CI=1.30-34.32, p=0.004) of cerebral malaria. This has implications for future epidemiological studies on cerebral malaria.