Haptoglobins and transferrins in Melanesia: Relation to hemoglobin, serum haptoglobin and serum iron levels in population groups in Papua—New Guinea

Abstract

This paper reports haptoglobin and transferrin typing of 2687 serum specimens from Melanesians of New Guinea and New Britain. The specimens were obtained from members of 27 different cultural and linguistic groups residing in over 100 different villages in six different administrative districts. They were divided among the Districts as follows: New Britain 821, Sepik 623, Morobe 349, Eastern Highlands 613, Southern Highlands 222, and Western Highlands 59.In addition serum haptoglobin levels, serum iron levels and total serum iron binding capacity have been determined on these subjects. In the field hemoglobin determinations, blood smears for examination for malaria parasite rates, and spleen palpations were done on a proportion of the subjects, mostly children under ten years whose sera have been examined in this study. These field and laboratory results are correlated with the transferrin and haptoglobin gene frequency findings.The available data on haptoglobin and transferrin types in Melanesia is limited almost entirely to small groups in certain areas of the highlands of New Guinea. taken from the same specimens whose clots were examined for bIood group studies which have been recently reported. Thus, detailed discussions of many of the populations under investigation, their linguistic and cultural affiliations, and their ethnic origins have been presented along with brief discussions of the medical problems in each area in a series of recent reports

HAPTOGLOBIN LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HAPTOGLOBIN GENOTYPE AND Α+-Thalassemia IN a MALARIA-ENDEMIC AREA

“…29,46 The levels in this study fall within the range of that previously reported in other areas of PNG. 47,48 After stratification for Hp phenotype, one study showed levels comparable with ours in the lowlands of PNG but higher levels in the highlands where malaria is absent or epidemic. 47 Hp levels were significantly higher in individuals who were homozygous compared with heterozygous for ␣ + -thalassemia.…”

“…47,48 After stratification for Hp phenotype, one study showed levels comparable with ours in the lowlands of PNG but higher levels in the highlands where malaria is absent or epidemic. 47 Hp levels were significantly higher in individuals who were homozygous compared with heterozygous for ␣ + -thalassemia. This finding was unexpected; in ␣ + -thalassemia homozygos- ity, the primary pathophysiology is that of increased peripheral hemolysis marked in this study by the decreased Hb in those with this genotype.…”

Seasonal Childhood Anaemia in West Africa Is Associated with the Haptoglobin 2-2 Genotype

“…This found that the Hp2-2 phenotype was associated with haemoglobin levels of less than 120 g/l (odds ratio = 1.92, p = 0.028, n = 825). A study from Melanesia has also reported similar differences in the 0- to 4-y age group in a malaria-endemic area (albeit based on a small sample size, n = 41) [ 30]. …”

A population genetic study of the Banks and Torres Islands (Vanuatu) and of the Santa Cruz Islands and polynesian outliers (Solomon Islands)

“…A single individual on Rennell had a Tp1 allele, giving a gene frequency of 0.3%. Of the other transferrin alleles, T P L a e , first reported from the Markham Valley (Lai, 1963) and subsequently found in New Britain (Curtain et al, 1965), is polymorphic in frequency in some of the Banks Islands but does not occur elsewhere.…”