Antimalarial antibody levels and IL4 polymorphism in the Fulani of West Africa

• DOI: 10.1038/sj.gene.6363797
• Publication Date: 2002-09-18T16:27:15Z
• Authors: G Luoni; F Verra; B Arcà; BS Sirima; M Troye-Blomberg; M Coluzzi; D Kwiatkowski; D Modiano
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; Genotype; Plasmodium falciparum; Antigens, Protozoan; ethnic groups; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Antibodies; polymorphism; 03 medical and health sciences; Gene Frequency; Ethnicity; Animals; Humans; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Polymorphism, Genetic; malaria immunity; Malaria; 3. Good health; Africa, Western; ethnic groups; malaria immunity; interleukin-4; polymorphism; Immunoglobulin G; Female; Disease Susceptibility; Interleukin-4; interleukin-4; ethnic groups; interleukin-4; malaria immunity; malarial immunity; polymorphism

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.