Cellular mechanism for the protective effect of haemoglobin S against P. falciparum malaria [22]

Abstract

Relative protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria afforded to heterozygous carriers of the sickle-cell gene is now the accepted mechanism for the high frequency of the gene in areas where malaria is (or was) common 1-3. However, the cellular mechanisms whereby Hb S protects the red cell against the malarial parasite are still not fully understood. We have compared the rates of invasion and growth of P. falciparum in normal red cells and in those of individuals with the sickling disorders, in both aerobic conditions and conditions of reduced oxygen tension. As a result of these studies, we suggest a possible mechanism for the protection of sickle-cell heterozygotes against P. falciparum malaria. © 1978 Nature Publishing Group.