title: Antimalarial antibody levels and IL4 polymorphism in the Fulani of West Africa.
abstract: The Fulani are less clinically susceptible and more immunologically responsive to malaria than neighbouring ethnic groups. Here we report that anti-malarial antibody levels show a wide distribution amongst the Fulani themselves, raising the possibility that quantitative analysis within the Fulani may be an efficient way of screening for important genetic factors. The Th2 cytokine interleukin-4 is an obvious candidate: in Fulani, the IL4-524 T allele is at high frequency and is associated with elevated antibody levels against malaria antigens. These data highlight the possibility of combining inter- and intra-ethnic comparisons to characterize critical determinants of malarial immunity in a natural setting.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Pasteur Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arcà
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sirima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troye-Blomberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coluzzi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kwiatkowski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modiano
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D008288:Malaria / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015847:Interleukin-4