title: Lack of association of the HbE variant with protection from cerebral malaria in Thailand.
abstract: Hemoglobin E (HbE; beta26Glu --> Lys) is the most common variant of the beta-globin gene in Southeast Asia; it has been suggested that it confers resistance against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In this study 306 adult patients with P. falciparum malaria (198 mild and 108 cerebral malaria patients) living in northwest Thailand were investigated to examine whether the HbE variant is associated with protection from cerebral malaria. Our results revealed that the sample allele frequency of HbE was not significantly different between mild (7.3%) and cerebral malaria (7.4%) patients. Thus, the HbA/HbE polymorphism would not be a major genetic factor influencing the onset of cerebral malaria in Thailand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Pornlada
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nuchnoi
authors.forename: Hathairad
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hananantachai
authors.forename: Sornchai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Looareesuwan
authors.forename: Katsushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Jintana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patarapotikul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000235:genetics; D006446:Hemoglobin E / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013785:Thailand; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006441:Hemoglobin A; D006446:Hemoglobin E