Antityphoid agglutinins in African school aged children with malaria.
BACKGROUND
Salmonella antibodies are known to cross-react with other antigens including those from Escherichia coli. Malaria antigens may also have similar characteristics.


OBJECTIVE
To establish antibody levels in malaria patients and controls and to decipher (if any), relationship(s) between significant agglutinin responses to the various antigens as outcome factor and malaria parasitaemia as exposure factor.


METHODS
University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Egor Local Government Area of Edo state, Nigeria, between July and August, 1999.


METHODS
Prospective and a case control study.


METHODS
Agglutinins against H and O antigens of Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi A, B and C were determined using the Widal test in 189 school aged children(5-16 years) with malaria (males, 54.0%; females, 46.0%) and 175 apparently healthy children,(52.0% males, and 48.0 %) of comparable age and gender distributions. Agglutination reaction at >1.80 were significantly more in malaria patients (52/189 or 27.5%) than in controls (28/175 or 16.0%) (x2 = 7.07; p<0.05). Agglutination reaction to various antigens were significantly higher in controls with malaria parasitaemia (10/36 or 27.8%) than those without parasitaemia (18/139 or 12.9%) (x2 = 4.57; p<0.02) (OR=2.59). Significant titres were also more in subjects and controls with malaria parasitaemia (62/235 or 26.38%) than in those without (18/139 or 12.94%) (x2=9.32; p< 0.05) (OR=2.41). At dilution of > or =1.80 children aged 9 -14 years (as compared to those < or =8 years of age) and more males (subjects and controls) had demonstrable agglutinins. At most serum dilutions, antibodies to H antigens were more commonly found in subjects and controls than agglutinins against O antigen of Salmonella typhi. Fifty percent of subjects and controls had demonstrable agglutination at approximate dilutions of 1:60 and 1:40 respectively. The number of subjects and controls that showed demonstrable agglutinins against Salmonella paratyphi antigens were less than 10.0%


CONCLUSIONS
Enhanced agglutinin to DO and DH may be a phenomenon associated with childhood malaria.
Ibadin
M O
MO
Department of Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
Ogbimi
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000373:Agglutinins / Q000032:analysis*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D019081:O Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D010284:Paratyphoid Fever / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012482:Salmonella paratyphi A / Q000276:immunology*; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000276:immunology*; D013334:Students; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000276:immunology*
D000373:Agglutinins; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C022863:H antigen; D019081:O Antigens