[Fluorescent antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients suspected of cerebral malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum].

The authors report the results of indirect immunofluorescent technique used for detecting malarial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of 126 African patients suspected of cerebral malaria from infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Almost all of them were less than 15 years old and were living in urban unstable hypoendemic areas. Malarial antibodies, mainly IgG, were found in about 25 0/0 of cerebrospinal fluid samples, whether the patients were admitted for malaria or for any other disease. Malarial antibodies were more frequently found in cerebrospinal fluid of patients over 2 years old and in those not treated with antimalarial drugs before hospitalization. No correlation was found between serum antibody level, parasitemia, splenomegaly, clinical form, precocity of blood collection and malarial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid. The results concerning serum antibodies corroborate previous works.