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The well-established relative resistance to malaria observed in the Fulani as compared with other sympatric tribes in West Africa has been attributed to their higher levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to malarial antigens. In this study, we confirm and extend the previous findings by analyses of the levels of IgM, IgG and IgG subclasses of anti-malarial antibodies in asymptomatic individuals of different sympatric tribes in Burkina Faso (Fulani/Mossi) and Mali (Fulani/Dogon). The Fulani showed significantly higher median concentrations of anti-malarial IgG and IgM antibodies than the sympatric tribes at both locations. Although the overall subclass pattern of antibodies did not differ between the tribes, with IgG1 and IgG3 as dominant, the Fulani showed consistently significantly higher levels of these subclasses as compared with those of the non-Fulani individuals. No significant differences were seen in the levels of total IgG between the tribes, but the Fulani showed significantly higher levels of total IgM than their neighbours in both countries. While the antibody levels to some nonmalarial antigens showed the same pattern of differences seen for antibody levels to malaria antigens, no significant such differences were seen with antibodies to other nonmalarial antigens. In conclusion, our results show that the Fulani in two different countries show higher levels of anti-malarial antibodies than sympatric tribes, and this appears not to be a reflection of a general hyper-reactivity in the Fulani.

Previous studies have shown that antibodies from humans exposed continuously to malaria recognize the Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood-stage antigen Pf332. Here we analysed the antibody responses to a C-terminal fragment of Pf332, designated C231, in individuals from Senegal, by measuring the serum levels of immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG class and subclass and IgE antibodies. IgG antibody reactivity with crude P. falciparum antigen was detected in all the donors, while many of the children lacked or had low levels of such antibodies against C231. The antibody levels increased significantly with age for both crude P. falciparum antigen and C231, and in the older age groups most of the donors displayed antibodies to C231. This was also true for IgM, IgE and IgG subclass reactivity against C231. Moreover, the ratio of IgG1/IgG2 was considerably lower for C231 than for crude P. falciparum antigen, and in age groups 10–14 and 15–19 years the levels of IgG2 against C231 even exceeded that of IgG1. The IgG2/IgG3 ratios suggest that C231 gives similar levels of IgG2 and IgG3, except for children aged 4–9 years, where IgG3 was higher. Raw IgM, IgG class and subclass and IgE antibody levels to C231 tended to be higher in those who did not experience a malaria attack, but following linear multivariate analysis the trends were not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]