Influence of hemoglobin E trait on the severity of Falciparum malaria.
To determine if hemoglobin E trait influences the course of acute malaria, adults hospitalized for the treatment of symptomatic infection with Plasmodium falciparum were studied retrospectively. Forty-two patients with hemoglobin E trait were compared with 175 reference subjects who did not have hemoglobin E, beta-thalassemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, or alpha-thalassemia. One patient (2.4%) with hemoglobin E trait had a severe complication of malaria by World Health Organization criteria (cerebral malaria), while 32 subjects in the reference group (18.3%) had one or more severe complications: cerebral malaria (n=18), hyperparasitemia (n=16), renal failure (n=10), and severe anemia (n=1) (P=.044 after adjustment for ethnic categories). The estimated odds of severe complications in the reference subjects were 6.9 times the odds in patients with hemoglobin E trait (95% confidence interval, 1.2-146. 4). These results suggest that hemoglobin E trait may ameliorate the course of acute falciparum malaria.
Hutagalung
R
R
Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Wilairatana
P
P
Looareesuwan
S
S
Brittenham
G M
GM
Aikawa
M
M
Gordeuk
V R
VR
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006446:Hemoglobin E / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013785:Thailand
D006446:Hemoglobin E