Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Plasmodium falciparum malaria and ABO blood group: is there any relationship?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that Plasmodium falciparum malaria is influenced by ABO blood group but the extent of association between both is yet to be well defined. Studies that investigated association between P. falciparum malaria and ABO blood group were identified using MEDLINE search and were systematically reviewed. There were apparent discrepancies and contradictions in the studies as some reported significant association between both while others observed no significant association. This outcome may reflect the complex interaction between P. falciparum malaria and the host immune responses. However, findings from all studies reviewed suggested that individuals of blood group O are relatively resistant to severe disease caused by P. falciparum infection. It was established that parasitized erythrocytes form rosettes more readily with red blood cells (RBCs) of A, B, or AB groups than with blood group O and this parasite-triggered RBC rosette formation is associated with the severity of clinical disease and with the development of cerebral malaria. Differences in rosetting ability were based on the P. falciparum strain-specific preference of rosetting with non-O blood groups and not only a phenomenon of laboratory-propagated strains, but also exist in wild clinical isolates from all major malarious areas of the world.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams JH, Hudson DE, Torii M, Ward GE, Wellems TE, Aikawa M, Miller LH (1990) The Duffy receptor family of Plasmodium knowlesi is located within the micronemes of invasive malaria merozoites. Cell 63:141–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aikawa M, Miller LH, Johnson J, Rabbege J (1978) Erythrocyte entry by malarial parasites. A moving junction between erythrocyte and parasite. J Cell Biol 77:72–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akinboye DO, Ogunrinade AF (1987) Malaria and loaisis among blood donors at Ibadan, Nigeria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 81:398–399

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barragan A, Kremsner PG, Wahlgren M, Carlson J (2000) Blood group A antigen is a coreceptor in Plasmodium falciparum rosetting. Infect Immun 68:2971–2975

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bayoumi RA, Bashir AH, Abdulhadi NH (1986) Resistance to falciparum malaria among adults in central Sudan. Am J Trop Med Hyg 35:45–55

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beiguelman B, Alves FP, Moura MM, Engracia V, Nunes ACS, Heckmann MIO, Ferreira RGM, Pereira da Silva LH, Camargo EP, Krieger H (2003) The association of genetic markers and malaria infection in the Brazilian western Amazonian region. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 98:455–460

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bird GWG, Wingham J, Watkins WM, Greenwell P, Cameron AH (1978) Inherited ‘mosaicism’ within the ABO blood group system. J Immunogenet 5:215–219

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruce-Chwatt LT (1980) Essential malariology. William Heinemann Medical Books, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson J, Wahlgren M (1992) Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte rosetting is mediated by promiscuous lectin-like interactions. J Exp Med 176:1311–1317

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson J, Helmby H, Hill AVS, Brewster D, Greenwood BM, Wahlgren M (1990) Human cerebral malaria: association with erythrocyte rosetting and lack of anti-rosetting antibodies. Lancet 336:1457–1460

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chitnis CE (2001) Molecular insights into receptors used by malaria parasites for erythrocyte invasion. Curr Opin Hematol 8:85–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chotivanich KT, Udomsangpetch R, Pipitaporn B, Angus B, Suputtamongkol Y, Pukrittayakamee S, White NJ (1998) Rosetting characteristics of uninfected erythrocytes from healthy individuals and malaria patients. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 92:45–56

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dvorak JA, Miller LH, Whitehouse WC, Shiroishi T (1975) Invasion of erythrocytes by malaria merozoites. Science 187:748–750

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Facer CA, Brown J (1979) ABO blood groups and falciparum malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 73:599–600

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer PR, Boone P (1998) Short report: severe malaria associated with blood group. Am J Trop Med Hyg 58:122–123

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwalt TJ (1997) A short history of transfusion medicine. Transfusion 37:550–563

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta M, Chowdhuri ANR (1980) Relationship between ABO blood groups and malaria. Bull WHO 58:913–915

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hill AVS (1992) Malarial resistance genes: a natural selection. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 86:225–226, 232

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson PH, Hopkinson DA (1992) Detection of ABO blood group polymorphism by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Hum Mol Genet 1:341–344

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kassim OO, Ejezie GC (1982) ABO blood groups in malaria and schistosomiasis haematobium. Acta Trop 39:179–184

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kwiatkowski DP (2005) How malaria has affected the human genome and what human genetics can teach us about malaria. Am J Hum Genet 77:171–190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lell B, May J, Schmidt-Ott RJ, Lehman LG, Luckner D, Greve B, Matousek P, Schmid D, Herbich K, Mockenhaupt FP, Meyer CG, Bienzle U, Kremsner PG (1999) The role of red blood cell polymorphisms in resistance and susceptibility to malaria. Clin Infect Dis 28:794–799

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis M, Kaita H, Giblett ER, Anderson JE (1978) Genetic linkage analyses of chromosome 9 loci ABO and AK-1. Cytogenet Cell Genet 22:452–455

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin SK, Miller LH, Hicks CU, David-West A, Ugbode C, Deane M (1979) Frequency of blood group antigens in Nigerian children with falciparum malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 73:216–218

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Migot-Nabias F, Mombo LE, Luty AJ, Dubois B, Nabias R, Bisseye C, Millet P, Lu CY, Deloron P (2000) Human genetic factors related to susceptibility to mild malaria in Gabon. Genes Immun 1:435–441

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller LH, Mason SJ, Clyde DF, McGinniss MH (1976) The resistance factor to Plasmodium vivax in blacks. The Duffy blood-group genotype FyFy. N Engl J Med 295:302–304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montoya F, Restrepo M, Montoya AE, Rojas W (1994) Blood groups and malaria. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 36:33–38

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Motulsky AG (1964) Hereditary red cell traits and malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 13:147–158

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’hUigin C, Sato A, Klein J (1997) Evidence for convergent evolution of A and B blood group antigens in primates. Hum Genet 101:141–148

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pant CS, Gupta DK, Bhatt RM, Gautam AS, Sharma RC (1992) An epidemiological study of G-6-PD deficiency, sickle cell haemoglobin, and ABO blood groups in relation to malaria incidence in Muslim and Christian communities of Kheda, Gujarat, (India). J Commun Dis 24:199–205

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pathirana SL, Alles HK, Bandara S, Phone-Kyaw M, Perera MK, Wickremasinghe AR, Mendis KN, Handunnetti SM (2005) ABO-blood-group types and protection against severe, Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 99:119–124

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe A, Obeiro J, Newbold CI, Marsh K (1995) Plasmodium falciparum rosetting is associated with malaria severity in Kenya. Infect Immun 63:2323–2326

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santos SEB, Salzano FM, Franco MHLP, Freitas MJM (1983) Mobility, genetic markers, susceptibility to malaria and race mixture in Manaus, Brazil. J Hum Evol 12:373–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh N, Shukla MM, Uniyal VP, Sharma VP (1995) ABO blood groups among malaria cases from district Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. Indian J Malariol 32:59–63

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Telen MJ (1996) Erythrocyte blood group antigens: polymorphisms of functionally important molecules. Semin Hematol 33:302–311

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thakur A, Verma IC (1992) Malaria and ABO blood groups. Indian J Malariol 29:241–244

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Treutiger CJ, Hedlund I, Helmby H, Carlson J, Jepson A, Twumasi P, Kwiatkowski D, Greenwood BM, Wahlgren M (1992) Rosette formation in Plasmodium falciparum isolates and anti-rosette activity of sera from Gambians with cerebral or uncomplicated malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 46:503–510

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Udomsangpetch R, Wählin B, Carlson J, Berzins K, Torii M, Aikawa M, Perlmann P, Wahlgren M (1989) Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes form spontaneous erythrocyte rosettes. J Exp Med 169:1835–1840

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Udomsangpetch R, Todd J, Carlson J, Greenwood BM (1993) The effects of hemoglobin genotype and ABO blood group on the formation of rosettes by Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells. Am J Trop Med Hyg 48:149–153

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uneke CJ, Ogbu O, Nwojiji V (2006) Potential risk of induced malaria by blood transfusion in South-eastern Nigeria. MJM 9:8–13

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warrell DA, Molyneux ME, Beales PF (1990) Severe and complicated malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 84:1–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Weatherall DJ, Miller LH, Baruch DI, Marsh K, Doumbo OK, Casals-Pascual C, Roberts DJ (2002) Malaria and the red cell. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program: 35–57

  • World Health Organization (2000) Expert Committee on Malaria. WHO technical report series 892, i–v. World Health Organization, Geneva

  • World Health Organization (2003) The African malaria report 2003. World Health Organization, Geneva

Download references

Acknowledgement

Access to full text of some publications used in this review was made possible by The Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) of the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, PMB 053, Nigeria

    C. J. Uneke

Authors
  1. C. J. Uneke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. J. Uneke.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Uneke, C.J. Plasmodium falciparum malaria and ABO blood group: is there any relationship?. Parasitol Res 100, 759–765 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0342-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0342-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation