In the present study, the influences of FcγRIIA polymorphism on susceptibility to
malaria and antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum
antigens were analyzed in children. We recruited 96 healthy children between 3 and 10 years at the beginning of the high transmission season and we followed up for 5 months through the high transmission season to assess the parasitological, immunological and genetic endpoints in relation to clinical
malaria status. There was a similar distribution of homozygous and heterozygous individuals carrying the FcγRIIA-131R/R and FcγRIIA-131R/H allele, whereas the number of FcγRIIA-131H/H homozygous individuals was lower. P. falciparum
infection frequency was not associated with the FcγRIIa-131R/H polymorphism. Only
IgG antibody responses to GLURP R0 showed a significant association between antibody levels and FcγRIIA polymorphism (p=0.02).
IgG levels to MSP2a were significantly higher in children who did not experience any clinical
malaria episode compared to those who experienced at least one
malaria episode (p=0.019). Cytophilic and non-cytophylic
IgG subclass levels were higher in children without
malaria than those who experienced at least one
malaria episode. This difference was statistically significant for
IgG1 to MSP3 (p=0.003) and to MSP2a (p=0.006);
IgG3 to MSP2a (p=0.007) and to GLURP R0 (p=0.044);
IgG2 to MSP2b (p=0.007) and
IgG4 to MSP3 (p=0.051) and to MSP2a (p=0.049). In this study, homozygous carriers of the FcγRIIA-131R/R allele had higher
malaria-specific antibody levels compare to the heterozygous carriers FcγRIIA-131R/H alleles and to homozygous carriers of FcγRIIA-131H/H alleles. The pre-existing
antibodies responses were related to a reduced subsequent risk of clinical
malaria.