Immunoglobulin levels in populations with low hemoglobin levels: study of five tribes of central India.

Average hemoglobin levels for 424 individuals belonging to 5 tribes of central India vary between 10.64 g/dl and 11.30 g/dl among males and between 9.62 g/dl and 9.97 g/dl among females. These ranges indicate the poor state of health and nutrition in these tribes. Three immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, and IgM) measured in a subset of the 424 individuals reveal that immunoglobulin and hemoglobin levels are inversely related to some extent. Levels of all three classes of immunoglobulins were found to be significantly correlated. This suggests that humoral immunity is not impaired even under acute nutritional stress.