Parasite-Reactive Serum IgE Antibodies in African Populations. Relation to Intestinal Parasite Load

Abstract

Serum IgE levels and IgE antibodies against four intestinal parasites, and the presence and abundance of parasites in stool samples were investigated in 161 Rwanda natives. Most of the IgE turn out to be helminth-reacting antibodies. The stimulation and production of these antibodies are much different from those of anti-amoeba antibodies in their relation to the specific intestinal parasite load; helminth infestations seem to play a major role in the development of anti-amoeba antibodies as well.

Sensitization to Ascaris lumbricoides and severity of childhood asthma in Costa Rica

“…21 Sensitization to Ascaris may result from past or current exposure to Ascaris and other helminths. 35,36 The ability to generate IgE in response to Ascaris may be a more important predictor of asthma severity than other markers of past infectious exposure, because Ascaris-specific IgG does not appear to be strongly associated with asthma. 37 Levels of IgE specific for Ascaris may rise in the first year after antihelminthic treatment, 12 with a subsequent decline over a period of 2 to 4 years.…”

Delayed-type hypersensitivity and immunoglobulin E in American cutaneous leishmaniasis

“…There have appeared in the literature some reports of the existence of anaphylactic-type reactivity against various protozoa (12,20,21,24), including Leishmania (1,2,14). We found that a low proportion of the study population possessed detectable serum levels of IgE antibody against Leishmania.…”

“…The capacity of various helminthic infections to greatly augment total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels is well recognized (9, 23), but in contrast, protozoa have little effect on this immunoglobulin class (5). The existencd, however, of anaphylactic reactivity against various protozoa (12,20,21,24), including Leishmania (1, 2, 14), has been described. We undertook a study of the total and specific IgE levels in sera from individuals during an outbreak of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in Venezuela.…”

Multivariate statistical analysis of quantitative serum protein data in populations of Rwanda

“…The same subjects have already been analyzed, by several laboratories (data not yet published), with regard to several genetic polymorphisms in both serum and red cell enzymes and antigens. Stool samples were also collected and were subjected to coproparasitologic analyses; additionally, relationship between serum IgE levels and intestinal parasite loads have been studied for both qualitative and quantitative characteristics (Scaglia et al, 1979;Revoltella et al, 1980). The foregoing studies have shown that besides the expected differences in allele frequencies between Hutus and Twas, there are surprisingly large differences between the northern and southern Twa groups (unpublished data).…”