Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 307, Issue 7972, 12 June 1976, Pages 1269-1272
The Lancet

FETAL HÆMOGLOBIN AND MALARIA

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(76)91738-4Get rights and content

Abstract

The distribution and growth of Plasmodium falciparum was compared in red blood-cells containing either adult or fetal hæmoglobins. In in-vitro cultures, cord blood-cells were invaded more readily, but there was a paucity of parasites in cells containing hæmoglobin F in the blood of infected infants aged 3-6 months. These findings suggest that P. falciparum may preferentially invade young, metabolically active erythrocytes. There was a significant retardation of parasite growth in vitro in cells containing hæmoglobin F. This latter finding suggests a further mechanism for the resistance to malaria in the first months of life and for high gene frequencies (in areas in which malaria was endemic) of the thalassæmias and related hæmoglobinopathies in which the rate of decline of fetalhæmoglobin production is retarded.

References (17)

  • P.C.C. Garnham

    Ann. trop. Med. Parasit.

    (1949)
  • H.M. Gilles

    Ann. trop. Med. Parasit.

    (1957)
  • H. Lehmann
  • L.W. Hackett

    Publs. Am. Ass. Advmt Sci.

    (1941)
  • B.G. Maegraith et al.

    Br. med. J.

    (1952)
  • A.C. Allison

    Br. med. J.

    (1954)
  • D.J. Weatherall et al.

    The Thalassæmia Syndromes

    (1972)
  • G.H. Beaven et al.

    Br. J. Hœmat.

    (1961)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

View full text