K. Pattanapanyasat et al., Impairment of Plasmodium falciparum growth in thalassemic red blood cells:Further evidence by using biotin labeling and flow cytometry, BLOOD, 93(9), 1999, pp. 3116-3119
Certain red blood cell (RBC) disorders, including thalassemia, have been as
sociated with an innate protection against malaria infection. However, many
in vitro correlative studies have been inconclusive. To better understand
the relationship between human RBCs with thalassemia hemoglobinopathies and
susceptibility to in vitro infection, we used an in vitro coculture system
that involved biotin labeling and flow cytometry to study the ability of n
ormal and variant RBC populations in supporting the growth of Plasmodium fa
lciparum malaria parasites. Results showed that both normal and thalassemic
RBCs were susceptible to P falciparum invasion, but the parasite multiplic
ation rates were significantly reduced in the thalassemic RBC populations.
The growth inhibition was especially marked in RBCs from alpha-thalassemia
patients (both alpha-thalassemia(1)/alpha-thalassemia(2) and alpha-thalasse
mia heterozygote). Our observations support the contention that thalassemia
confers protection against malaria and may explain why it is more prevalen
t in malaria endemic areas. (C) 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.