Infectious Diseases

Biography

Biography: Amanuel Ateweberhan Woldemariam

Abstract

Immune response to malaria and intestinal parasites is characterized by antibody production (IgE). Th2 immune response gives rise to antibody production and in this study the serum antibody level has been quantified in malaria patients with and without additional intestinal parasitic infection. The study was composed of 198 malaria positive and 217 malaria negative apparently healthy controls. Patients can be with or without additional intestinal parasitic infection. It was a cross sectional observational study conducted at Keren Hospital, Eritrea, Northeast Africa. A pre-designed structured format was utilized to collect socio-demographic and clinical data of the subjects. Detection and quantification of intestinal parasites, malaria parasites and quantification of serum antibody levels were done following standard procedures. Antibody levels of malaria-positive patients were significantly high as compared to that of malaria free apparently healthy controls (with and without intestinal parasitic infections). Malaria-positive patients with additional intestinal parasitic infection showed high level of antibody (2199 IU/ml) compared with those malaria patients without intestinal parasites (1669 IU/ml). The association between malaria parasitic density and level of antibody was highly significant (P=0.001) with 2048 IU/ml in high parasitaemia and 1779 IU/ml in low parasitaemia. Intestinal parasite egg loads were also significantly associated with level of antibody (P=0.003). It can be concluded that the level of antibody increases in response to malaria. It also increases in response to intestinal parasites. When compared, malaria infection is stronger than intestinal parasitic infection in driving the production of the antibody. Moreover, antibody level is correlated with malaria parasite density and intestinal parasite egg loads.