Immuno-epidemiology of human Schistosoma haematobiuminfection: preferential IgG3 antibody responsiveness to a recombinant antigen dependent on age and parasite burden

Table 1 Comparison of infection and antibody levels between the four groups.

Age Groups	Infection intensity	Infection prevalence	Anti-Sh13 IgG3
Pre-peak vs. peak	t = -1.942, df = 53 p = 0.029	χ2 = 4.114, df = 1, p = 0.043	t = -1820, df = 53, p = 0037
Pre-peak vs. declining	t = -1.062, df = 102, p = 0.145	χ² = 4.503, df = 1, p = 0.034	t = -1.441, df = 102, p = 0.077
Pre-peak vs. lowest	t = 1.709, df = 40, p = 0.048	χ² = 0.019, df = 1, p = 0.890	t = -2.906, df = 40, p = 0.003
Peak vs. declining	t = 1.438, df = 103, p = 0.077	χ² = 0.145, df = 1, p = 0.704	t = 0.679, df = 103, p = 0.25
Peak vs. lowest	t = 3.170, df = 41, p = 0.002	χ² = 2.563, df = 1, p = 0.109	t = -1.165, df = 41, p = 0.126
Declining vs. lowest	t = 2.625, df = 90, p = 0.005	χ² = 2.376, df = 1, p = 0.123	t = -2.044, df = 90, p = 0.022

The table compares infection intensity, prevalence and anti-Sh13 IgG3 amongst the four groups which the population has been partitioned as shown in Figure 3. Results from post-hoc tests are presented after one way ANOVA showed that infection intensity and anti-sh13 IgG3 levels differed significantly across the 4 age groups (F = 3.863, df = 3, 147, p = 0.011 and F = 2.946, df = 3, 147, p = 0.045 for infection intensity and anti-sh13 IgG3 respectively). Significant differences are highlighted in bold font.

ISSN: 1471-2334