The interaction between sickle haemoglobin and the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum |
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Authors: | G Pasvol |
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Institution: | Tropical Medicine Unit, Nuffield Department of Clincial Medicine, University of Oxford, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK |
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Abstract: | The mechanism whereby heterozygous carriers of the sickle cell gene are protected against fatal malarial infections due to Plasmodium falciparum has been examined in a short term in vitro cultivation system. The results have show that both parasite invasion of red cells and parasite growth within red cells containing sickle haemoglobin (Hb-S) is restricted, but only under conditions of low (5%) oxygen tensions. To bring this about, the cells containing Hb-S need not sickle. Furthermore the growth retardation observed in the presence of Hb-S was also found to apply to the mature forms of the parasite. These findings offer a plausible mechanism for the protection of sickle heterozygotes against falciparum malaria. |
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