Association between haemoglobin variants S and C and Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer): a case-control study in Benin.
Risk factors for Buruli ulcer (BU) are poorly understood. We conducted a case-control study in southern Benin to investigate the association between haemoglobin variants S or C and BU, and particularly the association between haemoglobinopathies HbSS/SC and BU osteomyelitis. We compared the haemoglobin genotype of 179 patients with BU and 44 with BU osteomyelitis to that of 242 community controls. We found no evidence of an increased risk of BU according to the presence of haemoglobin variants S and/or C [odds ratio adjusted for sex, age, region of residence and ethnicity: 1.24 (95% CI: 0.80-1.93), P = 0.34]. Haemoglobin variants S and C are unlikely to play a role in the BU burden. However, haemoglobinopathies HbSS/SC were more frequent among BU osteomyelitis patients than among controls (6.8% vs. 1.0%, Fisher's exact P-value = 0.045), which may suggest that those disorders facilitate growth of Mycobacterium ulcerans in the bone matrix.
Nackers
Fabienne
F
Epidemiology Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. fabienne.nackers@epid.ucl.ac.be
Tonglet
René
R
Slachmuylder
Véronique
V
Johnson
Roch C
RC
Robert
Annie
A
Zinsou
Claude
C
Glynn
Judith R
JR
Portaels
Françoise
F
Gala
Jean-Luc
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006444:Hemoglobin C / Q000235:genetics; D006445:Hemoglobin C Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle / Q000235:genetics; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans / Q000235:genetics*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006444:Hemoglobin C