Heterophile antibodies in Nigerian sera.

A heterophile agglutinin was found at a titre of 1:4 or greater in 332 of 336 Nigerian sera investigated. The antibody was demonstrated to be an IgM macroglobulin. Although many of the sera tested had high IgM levels, only a slight correlation was found between titres of heterophile agglutinin and IgM levels. Absorption studies differentiated the Nigerian heterophile agglutinin from the antibodies seen in glandular fever and serum sickness. No correlation was found between the occurrence of high titres of heterophile agglutinin and infection with malaria, onchocerciasis, loaisis or schistosomiasis. None of the subjects investigated was known to have trypanosomiasis, a parasitic infection in which heterophile antibodies are known to occur.