Profiles of heterophile antibody to various mammalian erythrocytes in rural populations of Zambia.

Heterophile antibodies to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), rabbit red blood cells (RRBC), horse red blood cells (HRBC), murine (rat) red blood cells (MRBC) were investigated in a total of 416 serum samples from two rural areas of Zambia where major parasitic diseases are endemic. Distribution of antibody titers to RRBC were significantly different between the two study areas, whereas titers to SRBC were not significantly different. Sheep RBC's did not reveal a uniform consistent difference between the two communities with respect to schistosomiasis and malaria. Rabbit erythrocytes showed significant differences (P less than 0.05) between parasitologically positive and negative samples for schistosomiasis and malaria, respectively. No significant difference was observed between sexes, although females generally have a slightly higher titer for both SRBC and RRBC than males. No significant agglutinins were detected to HRBC and BRBC. Agglutinins to MRBC were generally too high to be of any differential value. It is suggested that sheep and rabbit erythrocytes might be useful probes for evidence of exposure to parasites and assessment of humoral immunologic status, albeit nonspecific. Further, it is inferred that the incidence of infectious mononucleosis in this region is rather low. A controlled investigation into the distribution of E-B viruses is suggested to explain absence of I-M-like agglutinins in a region climatically conductive to existence of arborviruses in general, and the E-B virus group in particular.