Abstract

Hemoglobin and HFE gene polymorphisms in Brazilian populations in regions endemic for malaria (Estudo do polimorfismo de hemoglobinas e do gene HFE em popula�§�µes brasileiras de �¡reas end�ªmicas de mal�¡ria)

Our objective was to determine how the distribution of red blood cell diseases is related to malaria occurrence in north Brazil, a region endemic for malaria. We evaluated the incidence of two mutations in the HFE gene, H63D and C282Y, in two study groups: a control blood donor group, with no indication of malaria infection, and a group constituted of malaria patients of four states of the Amazonian region. The hemoglobin polymorphisms were obtained by HPLC and classical laboratory methodologies, and the two mutations in the HFE gene were assayed by PCR-RFLP. We found a high frequency of alpha thalassemia, but there were no significant differences between blood donors and malaria patients. There were also no significant differences in the frequencies of HbA2; however, the frequency of HbF was significantly different in individuals with malaria from Pará and Rondônia.

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