To determine whether malaria-specific anergy may also contribute to the lack of T cell responses among the exposed not sensitized newborns, cord blood from a subset of newborns (n = 61) was cultured in the presence of IL-2+IL-15 and malaria antigens and compared to cultures with IL-2+IL-15 in the absence of malaria antigens. The gene discussed is IL2; the disease is malaria.