Host Genetic Factors and Burden of Asymptomatic Malaria Infection in Calabar Pregnant Women, Nigeria
DOI: doi-org-10-51374-annalsmls-2024-3-1-0001
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Abstract
Introduction: Malaria is one of humans’ oldest and most frequently occurring infectious diseases. This study was aimed at assessing the distribution of ABO, Rh blood groups, haemoglobin variants, and malaria parasite density of pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria attending the antenatal clinic at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire study involved fifty pregnant women positive for malaria parasites but without any malaria-related symptoms and attending antenatal clinic at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, who constituted the test subjects, and 50 non-pregnant uninfected women, who constituted the control samples. Malaria diagnosis was performed using the standard microscopy method, ABO and Rh blood grouping was done using the standard tube method, while haemoglobin electrophoresis was analyzed using the alkaline cellulose acetate method.
Results: Blood group O and Rh ‘D’ positivity were the predominant blood group among the pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria (68.0%, 96.0%) and the non-pregnant controls (70.0%, 98.0%), respectively. Haemoglobin type AA was the most prevalent among both the pregnant women (72.0%) and the non-pregnant controls (74.0%). No significant variations were observed in the ABO and Rh blood groups as well as the haemoglobin types of the pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria and the non-pregnant controls (p > 0.05). It was also observed that the ABO and Rh blood groups of the pregnant women had no significant bearing on their malaria parasite densities. However, a significant association was observed between the haemoglobin type and the malaria parasite densities of the pregnant women, with those belonging to HbAS having significantly lower malaria parasite densities
(689.18±142.38).
Conclusion: The study reported a significant association between haemoglobin types of pregnant women with asymptomatic malaria and their malaria parasite densities. However, no significant association was found between their ABO and Rh
blood groups and their malaria parasite densities.
Keywords: Haemogloinopathies, Blood groups, Malaria Parasite infection, ABO Blood group, Rh blood group.