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Correlation of Lipid Peroxidation Index With Sickle Haemoglobin Concentrations In Malaria-Positive and-Negative Statuses of AA, AS and SS Individuals from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Community


PN Uzoegwu
AE Onwurah

Abstract

The incidences of different haemoglobinopathy genes were determined in 6406 volunteers from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, community. Results revealed 3.81% and 29.04% incidences of sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and Sickle gene trait respectively in the community. The concentrations of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid peroxidation index, of a total of 260 selected normal homozygotes (HbAA), sickle heterozygotes (HbAS) and subjects with homozygous Sickle Cell Anaemia (HbSS), were further assayed when they were infected and then when they were not infected with Plasmodium falciparum (p.f) parasite. The correlaction of MDA concentrations and Sickle haemoglobin (HbS) doses of the genotypic groups revealed that the differences in MDA concentrations computed when the individuals were infected and when they were not infected were directly proportional to their corresponding doses of HbS in AA, AS and SS genotypic groups. This result was confirmed by the direct proportion exhibited by the mean plasma MDA concentration differences (MDACDs) of groups of heterozygotes during plasmodial infection and when they were not infected with their corresponding mean percentage HbS concentrations. The results further demonstrated that the percentage HbS concentration of various heterozygote groups were inversely proportional to their corresponding parasite densities and their annual frequencies of malaria attack. These results not only demonstrated the high incidences of SCA and trait in the university community but also could explain further why most sickle heterozygotes suffer less malarial attack than the normal heterozygotes as well as explain the variations usually observed in the frequency of malarial attack among sickle gene carriers.



Key words: Sickle cell disease, Malaria, Sickle Hb concentration, Lipid peroxidation



Bio-Research Vol.1(1) 2003: 97-114

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2705-3822
print ISSN: 1596-7409