Immunoglobulin levels in the Kaiapit and upper Watut areas of New Guinea: with special reference to the tropical splenomegaly syndrome

Abstract

Serum concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM were estimated for 2,000 inhabitants of 2 malarious areas of New Guinea—Kaiapit, where spleen rates are high in children but splenomegaly occurs infrequently in adults and is never gross, and the Upper Watut Valley, where the tropical splenomegaly syndrome is particularly common, and 80% of adults and children have palpable spleens. Kaiapit adults had significantly higher IgM levels than children: IgM levels tended to increase throughout life, were higher in women than in men and in adults with splenomegaly. IgG and IgA levels showed no significant relation to increasing age above 10 years, to sex or to the presence or absence of splenomegaly. The youngest Watut children had higher IgM levels than Kaiapit subjects. IgM concentrations rose more rapidly with age, particularly in the first 20 years of life, so that the mean Watut adult level was more than twice that of Kaiapit adults. In Watut children splenomegaly was associated with significantly higher levels of all 3 immunoglobulin fractions, whereas adults with splenomegaly showed markedly higher levels of IgM, but significantly lower IgA concentrations than did subjects with impalpable spleens. The change in the pattern of immunoglobulin levels in association with splenomegaly occurred between the ages of 6 and 20 years, indicating that the transition from simple malarious splenomegaly to tropical splenomegaly syndrome probably occurs at this age. Subjects living near the valley floor had higher spleen rates than those living in high villages; IgM concentrations were also affected by altitude. The reason for this remains obscure, but it is suggested that both observations may be related to differences in intensity of operation of the factors responsible for the development of the tropical splenomegaly syndrome.