ABSTRACT
The total IgE and anti-Plasmodium falciparum IgE antibodies were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 480 children and adults living in malaria endemic area along Thai-Myanmar border, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. Approximately 73.13% of tested individuals had elevated levels of total IgE with a range of 160-998 ng/ml. 20.5% of these IgE were specific to P falciparum blood stage antigens, with a range of 78-353 microg/ml. However, the levels of total IgE were not significantly correlated with those of specific IgE (r = 0.083). The elevation of anti-P falciparum IgE antibodies seems to be age dependent. The prolonged or repeated exposure to malaria parasites is necessary for the induction of specific IgE response as indicated by the finding of a significant correlation between the levels of P falciparum specific IgE and the number of malaria attacks (r = 0.551, p = 0.01). Interestingly, among the specific IgE responders, 20 individuals naturally exposed to malaria but without clinical malaria reported had high levels of both total IgE and anti- P. falciparum IgE antibodies, with mean values of 418.67 mg/ml and 146.25 ng/ml, respectively. It is likely that the antibodies from such specific IgE responders could mediate phagocytosis in vitro.