Belehu, AyeleGebre-Haiiam, Zinabu2018-07-182023-11-092018-07-182023-11-091982-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/9238Serum concentrations of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM in 258 healthy Ethiopian school children and 82 healthy adults rosiding in Addis Abeba were measured by the radial immunodiffusion technique. The results are presented as geometric mean values in mg/100 ml and as percent of the adult mean values. A Btatistical analysis showed that the IgG and IgA concentrations at ages 8 and 7 respectively were lower than the adult values. The inference drawn ftom these results is that the IgG and IgA levels do not reach the adult level until after the age of 8 and 7 respectively. In contrast the IgM level was found to reach the adult level before the age of 7. No truly significant differences were observed in immunoglobulin levels which could be attributed to sex, intestinal parasitic infection or socio-economic status. The merul values for IgG and IgM obtained from this Btudy were found to be higher than the reference values being uBed in the country at the mo-ment. It is thuB suggested that mean immunoglobulin concentration values obtained from this study be used as reference values until further study is made and more refined reference values are set.enBiologyThesis