Acute phase responses vary between children of HBAS and HBAA genotypes during plasmodium falciparum infection

Mary Tetteh, Otchere Addai-Mensah, Zakaria Siedu, Eric Kyei-Baafour, Helena Lamptey, Jovis Williams, Edward Kupeh, Godfred Egbi, Anna Boadi Kwayie, Gabriel Abbam, David Amoah Afrifah, Alexander Yaw Debrah, Michael Fokuo Ofori

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Haemoglobin genotype S is known to offer protection against Plasmodium falciparum infections but the mechanism underlying this protection is not completely under-stood. Associated changes in acute phase proteins (APPs) during Plasmodium falciparum infections between Haemoglobin AA (HbAA) and Haemoglobin AS (HbAS) individuals also remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate changes in three APPs and full blood count (FBC) indices of HbAA and HbAS children during Plasmodium falciparum infection. Methods: Venous blood was collected from three hundred and twenty children (6 months to 15 years) in Begoro in Fanteakwa District of Ghana during a cross-sectional study. Full blood count (FBC) indices were measured and levels of previously investigated APPs in malaria patients; C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and transferrin measured using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays. Results: Among the HbAA and HbAS children, levels of CRP and ferritin were higher in malaria positive children as compared to those who did not have malaria. The mean CRP levels were significantly higher among HbAA children (p=0.2e-08) as compared to the HbAS children (p=0.43). Levels of transferrin reduced in both HbAA and HbAS children with malaria, but the difference was only significant among HbAA children (p=0.0038), as compared to the HbAS children. No significant differences were observed in ferritin levels between HbAA and HbAS children in both malaria negative (p=0.76) and positive (p=0.26) children. Of the full blood count indices measured, red blood cell count (p=0.044) and haemoglobin (Hb) levels (p=0.017) differed between HbAA and HbAS in those without malaria, with higher RBC counts and lower Hb levels found in HbAS children. In contrast, during malaria, lymphocyte and platelet counts were elevated, whilst granulocytes and Mean Cell Haematocrit counts were reduced among children of the HbAS genotypes. Conclusion: Significant changes in APPs were found in HbAA children during malaria as compared to HbAS children, possibly due to differences in malaria-induced inflammation levels. This suggests that the HbAS genotype is associated with better control of P. falciparum infection-induced inflammatory response than HbAA genotype.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1415-1426
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Inflammation Research
Volume14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Keywords

  • APP
  • APR
  • Acute phase proteins
  • Acute phase response
  • C-reactive protein
  • Ferritin
  • Plasmodium falciparum
  • Transferrin

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