Studies of immunoglobulin M and malarial antibodies in Nigerians.

Measurements of immunoglobulin M, in 111 healthy adult Nigerians have been presented. IgM values ranged between 10 and 518 mg per 100 ml with a mean of 213.2 mg per 100 ml. Using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, 53.7 per cent of the 111 symptomless subjects in the study had demonstrable malarial antibodies of titres greater than 10,000. The implications of the observations in a holoendemic malarial zone are briefly discussed.