Immunogenetic Control of Antibody Responsiveness in a Malaria Endemic Area

This study builds upon the established genetic control of antimalarial immune responses and prior association studies by using a family-based approach, transmission disequilibrium testing, to identify immune response genes that influence antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum infection in an endemic Tanzanian population. Candidate polymorphisms are within the interleukin-1 (IL-1) gene cluster, the IL-10 promoter, Major histocompatibility complex class II and III, the 5q31-q33 region, and the T-Cell Receptor beta variable region. There was a significant association between the IL1RN alleles and total IgE. Weak evidence for association was present between polymorphisms in the IL10 promoter region and both anti-P falciparum IgE and IgG4 antibodies.