title: Red blood cell indices and prevalence of hemoglobinopathies and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiencies in male Tanzanian residents of Dar es Salaam.
abstract: Hemoglobinopathies, disorders of hemoglobin structure and production, are one of the most common monogenic disorders in humans. Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) is an inherited enzymopathy resulting in increased oxygen stress susceptibility of red blood cells. The distributions of these genetic traits in populations living in tropical and subtropical regions where malaria has been or is still present are thought to result from survival advantage against severe life threatening malaria disease. 384 male Tanzanian volunteers residing in Dar es Salaam were typed for G6PD, sickle cell disease and α-thalassemia. The most prominent red blood cell polymorphism was heterozygous α(+)-thalassemia (37.8%), followed by the G6PD(A) deficiency (16.4%), heterozygous sickle cell trait (15.9%), G6PD(A-) deficiency (13.5%) and homozygous α(+)-thalassemia (5.2%). 35%, 45%, 17% and 3% of these volunteers were carriers of wild type gene loci, one, two or three of these hemoglobinopathies, respectively. We find that using a cut off value of 28.6 pg. for mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), heterozygous α(+)-thalassemia can be predicted with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 72% in this male population. All subjects carrying homozygous α(+)-thalassemia were identified based on their MCH value < 28.6 pg.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland ; University of Basel Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland ; Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mwakasungula
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland ; University of Basel Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jongo
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Kasimu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamaka
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Mgeni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Ramla
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Thabit
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Athuman
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Anneth Mwasi
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tumbo
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamad
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lweno
authors.affiliation: University of Basel Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland ; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre Bagamoyo, P.O. Box 74, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Seif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shekalaghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland ; University of Basel Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Daubenberger
keywords: Sickle cell trait; Tanzania; glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency; malaria; mean corpuscular hemoglobin; screening; whole blood count; α-thalassemia