Malaria and macrophage function in Africans: a possible link with autoimmune disease?
Systemic lupus erythematosus and sarcoidosis, both diseases in which immune responses are aberrant, are not found in Africans in West Africa, but their prevalence in people of West African descent in the USA and UK is higher than that for white people. It is argued here that malaria both prevents these diseases in West Africa by its effects on macrophage function, and has also selected for a predisposition to them.
Butcher
G A
GA
Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK. g.butcher@ic.ac.uk
D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western / Q000208:ethnology; D001741:Black or African American; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; D015995:Prevalence; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology