Heterogeneous alleles comprising G6PD deficiency trait in West Africa exert contrasting effects on two major clinical presentations of severe malaria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency exhibits considerable allelic heterogeneity which manifests with variable biochemical and clinical penetrance. It has long been thought that G6PD deficiency confers partial protection against severe malaria, however prior genetic association studies have disagreed with regard to the strength and specificity of a protective effect, which might reflect differences in the host genetic background, environmental influences, or in the specific clinical phenotypes considered.

Methods

A case-control association study of severe malaria was conducted in The Gambia, a region in West Africa where there is considerable allelic heterogeneity underlying expression of G6PD deficiency trait, evaluating the three major nonsynonymo

SUBMITTER: Shah SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4704392 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature