Relationship Between Haemoglobins C and S and Malaria in Ghana

Abstract

MMIxCALz JOURNA field and Smith, 1955), and eluted. Following starch electrophoresis the haemoglobin fractions themselves were eluted. On measuring the colour of the eluates it was found that the abnormal component formed 28% of the total haemoglobin. The proportion of haemoglobin A2 (Kunkel and Wallenius, 1955) Huisman obliged us by testing the solubility of our patient's haemoglobin by a salting-out technique; he also found it to be normal. We are grateful to Dr. Huisman for his permission to quote that the abnormal component of this haemoglobin moves on chromatography (Huisman and Prins, 1955) between haemoglobins S and C, whereas haemoglobin C moves between haemoglobins A and S, and to Dr. Itano for informing us of differences seen on open boundary electrophoresis between the haemoglobin of our patient and mixtures of haemoglobins A + S and A + G respectively.Our patient was born a Hindu of the Khashtri caste in the Mianwali District, Pakistan. He is 27 years old and is now a citizen of India temporarily resident in London. He is not anaemic and there is nothing remarkable in his blood picture, excepting a slight eosinophilia. The osmotic fragility of his red cells is within normal limits. By the kindness of Dr. Ishwar Chandar we have examined the blood of our patient's parents and of one brother and one sister. The mother's haemoglobin consisted of haemoglobin A and of a component moving more slowly than haemoglobin A, but faster than haemoglobin S or D. The other three bloods contained haemoglobin A only.New haemoglobins are allotted letters which are in general in alphabetical order of discovery (Statement on Hemoglobin Nomenclature, 1953).

Aberrant development of Plasmodium falciparum in hemoglobin CC red cells: implications for the malaria protective effect of the homozygous state

“…1 Early studies found that parasite prevalence and density among healthy AA (HbAnormal) and AC (HbC-trait) subjects were equivalent. [2][3][4][5] Subsequent work failed to associate HbC with malaria protection 6,7 although one study demonstrated increased survival of AC subjects. 5 Recently, however, 2 epidemiologic studies performed in Sahelian regions of West Africa demonstrated the malariaprotective effect of HbC.…”

The Frequency of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Phenotypes and Sickle Cell Genes in Al-Qatif Oasis

“…20,21 Since the mortality from falciparum malaria was related to parasite densities, 22 these children had a lower mortality rate from malaria. [23][24][25][26] Similar protection is provided by the G-6-PD deficiency, 27,28 and thus an increased frequency of these genes is encountered in most of the areas of the world that are or have been malaria endemic.…”

The Geography of Sickle Cell Disease: Opportunities for Understanding its Diversity

“…Sickle Cell-Hemoglobin C Disease -inheritance of the gene for HbS from one parent and the gene for HbC from the other results in sickle cell-hemoglobin C (SC) disease. HbC occurs at high prevalence in Ghana and Burkina Faso 14,15 and is confined to people of West African ancestry, this limited geographical distribution suggesting that the HbC mutation occurred even more recently than HbS. As HbC identifies West African ancestry, SC disease occurs in black populations in North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe but is not seen elsewhere in Africa, around the Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia, or India.…”