Aloantibodies ABO in patients with ascariasis

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ALOANTIBODIES ABO IN PATIENTS WITH ASCARIASIS

Immunization in the ABO system may be produced by heteroimmunization (through substances of animal origin or from bacterial origin), or by aloimmunization (pregnancy or transfusions).

Immuneantibodies have many properties, among which we may mention the following: 1) They are generally IgG; 2) They are haemolytic; 3) Their highest degree of activity is reached at 37 °C; 4) They may disappear a few weeks or months after immunization.

With respect to probable associations between blood groups and the presence of parasites, information is contradictory^1,2,4,7. HUNTLEY et al.⁵ have associated the presence of immune antibodies in the ABO system in children with infection caused by helminths in their mother. We would like to comment on our experience in detecting the presence of immune antibodies of ABO system in children who were infected by Ascaris lumbricoides. Since immune antibodies tend to disappear as the antigenic stimulus decreases, the quantitative determination of this kind of antibodies would allow the evaluation of the treatment efficacy.

Four patients with ABO haemolytic antibodies were selected. Their sera were used within 12 hours after extraction. Sera were titrated at different temperatures (37 °C, 20° C and 4° C), following the conventional methodology⁶.

Titre, score and sensitivity parameter (SP) were determined for each serum at the temperatures indicated before. Determination of these parameters were carried out with the geometrical series of serum dilution of ratio 2 as proposed. Results of titrations were expressed by means of the score determined by GOUDEMAND & MARSALET³, according to the following scale:

score 10 (+ + + +) : 1 to 3 big agglutinates 5 (+ + + ) : more than 10 small agglutinates 2 ( + + ) : 3 to 10 small agglutinates 1 ( + ) : traces 0 ( - ) : no agglutination

The total score was calculated as S S_i were

S_i:is the score corresponding to the D_i dilution

The Sensitivity Parameter (SP) was defined by VALVERDE DE RASIA & RASIA⁸ as:

SP = S (S_i / D_i) 10^-3 (i = 1,2,3....)

D_i = 2^-i is the considered dilution (inverse to titre)

SP is a useful value to compare quantitatively the capability of two or more techniques to detect differences between agglutinations.

Results of the experience are shown on Table 1:

SP has proved its usefulness since it remarks the increase of agglutinating capability of a serum at 37 °C. Both, their capability and their haemolytic activity are characteristics of ABO system immune antibodies.

Apparently our results support the association Ascaris lumbricoides infection with the ABO hemolytic disease. The proposed technique is easy to carry out and may be useful in the prognosis and control of this illness.

Bioq. Patricia PONCE DE LEON

Dra. Juana VALVERDE

Dra. María ZDERO

Departamento de Microbiología

Facultad de Cs. Bioq. y Farm.

Suipacha 531

2000 Rosario - Argentina.

REFERENCES

1. AYRES, M.; SALZANO, F.M.; HELENA, M.; FRANCO, L.P. & DE SOUZA BARROS, R.M. - The association of blood groups ABH secretion, haptoglobins and hemoglobins with filariasis. Hum. Hered., 26: 105-109, 1976.

2. CARME, B.; MAMBOUENI, J.P.; COPIN, N. & NOIREAU, F. – Clinical and biological study of Loa loa filariasis in Congolese. Amer. J. trop. Med. Hyg., 41: 331-337, 1989.

3. GOUDEMAND, M. & MARSALET, I.D. – Elements d´immuno-hématologie. Paris, Flammarion, 1967.

4. GYORKOS, T.W.; SUKUL, N.C. & DASDAL, A. – Filariasis and ABO blood group status: a critical appraisal. Trans. roy. Soc. trop. Med. Hyg., 77: 564-565, 1983.

5. HUNTLEY, C.C.; LYERLY, A.D.; LITTLEJOHN, M.P.; RODRIGUEZ TRIAS, H. & BOWERS JR., G.W. – ABO hemolytic disease in Puerto Rico and North Carolina. Pediatrics, 57: 875-883, 1976.

6. MARCELLI, A.; FINE, J.M.; HOMBERGT, J.C. & RIBAT, I. – Techniques en Immunohématologie. Paris, Flammarion, 1981.

7. MORALES, G.A.; PINO, L.A. & CHOURIO LOZANO, G. – Ecoepidemiología de Ascaris lumbricoides en una zona endémica y su relación con los grupos sanguíneos. Acta cient. venez., 45: 287-291, 1994.

8. VALVERDE DE RASIA, J.R. & RASIA, J. - Soluciones de baja fuerza iónica en las pruebas de Coombs para la detección de anticuerpos anti-Rh. Acta bioq. clin. lat.-amer., 16: 295-305, 1982.

Received: 26 Abril 2000

Accepted: 21 July 2000

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  25 Oct 2000
• Date of issue
  Oct 2000