title: Microsatellite polymorphism in the heme oxygenase-1 gene promoter is associated with susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Myanmar.
abstract: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a serious complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, and its pathogenesis leading to coma remains unknown. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes heme breakdown, eventually generating bilirubin, iron and carbon monoxide. The HO-1 gene promoter contains a polymorphic (GT)n repeat which may influence the expression level of HO-1. To explore the correlation between this (GT)n polymorphism and susceptibility to CM, we analyzed the frequencies of the (GT)n alleles in 120 Myanmarese patients with uncomplicated malaria (UM) and 30 patients with CM. The frequency of homozygotes for the short (GT)n alleles (<28 repeats) in CM patients was significantly higher than those in UM patients (P < 0.008, OR = 3.14). Thus, short (GT)n alleles represent a genetic risk factor for CM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Zoology, Saitama Medical School, Saitama 350-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Ratawan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ubalee
authors.forename: Kesara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Na-Bangchang
authors.forename: Ronnatrai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruangweerayut
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibahara
authors.forename: So-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D002052:Myanmar; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1