title: Difference in susceptibility to malaria between two sympatric ethnic groups in Mali.
abstract: We compared malaria indicators among sympatric groups to study human heterogeneities in the response to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. Four cross-sectional surveys and two longitudinal surveys in two sympatric ethnic groups (Dogon and Fulani) in Mali were carried out from 1998 to 2000. Spleen and parasite rates were evaluated during the cross-sectional surveys and disease incidence was assessed during longitudinal surveys. In spite of similar sociocultural factors and entomologic inoculation rates between ethnic groups, the Fulani had a significantly higher spleen enlargement rate, lower parasite rate, and were less affected by the disease than the Dogon group, whose frequency of hemoglobin C was higher than that recorded among the Fulani group. The Fulani group had significantly higher levels of IgG and IgE against crude malaria antigen than the Dogon group, suggesting a role of anti-malaria antibodies in the immune protection seen in this group.
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research and Training Center, Département d'Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d'Odonto-Stomatologie, Bamako, Mali. adolo@mrtcbko.org
authors.forename: Amagana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dolo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modiano
authors.forename: Boubacar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maiga
authors.forename: Modibo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daou
authors.forename: Guimogo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dolo
authors.forename: Hamadoun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guindo
authors.forename: Mamadou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Hama
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maiga
authors.forename: Drissa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.forename: Hedvig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Perlman
authors.forename: Marita Troye
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Blomberg
authors.forename: Yeya Tiemoko
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Touré
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coluzzi
authors.forename: Ogobara
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Doumbo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003710:Demography; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005006:Ethnicity; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins