Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30867026›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2019

Association between alpha-thalassaemia trait, Plasmodium falciparum asexual parasites and gametocyte carriage in a malaria endemic area in Southern Ghana.

Helena Lamptey, Michael Fokuo Ofori, Bright Adu, Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, Emmanuel Kakra Dickson, Isabella Quakyi, Michael Alifrangis

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Helena LampteyImmunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. Hlamptey@noguchi.ug.edu.gh.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6426-6540
Michael Fokuo OforiImmunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Bright AduImmunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Kwadwo Asamoah KusiImmunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Emmanuel Kakra DicksonImmunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Isabella QuakyiDepartment of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Michael AlifrangisCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
University of Ghana · GHUniversity of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe alpha-thalassaemia trait has been associated with protection against severe malaria but its role in Plasmodium falciparum asexual parasite and gametocyte carriage remains unclear. This study examined association between prevalence of α-thalassaemia and P. falciparum asexual stage parasitaemia and gametocytaemia in children, pregnant women and adults, which was part of a bigger study that investigated some key factors that influence gametocyte carriage.

resultsOverall prevalence of heterozygous α-thalassaemia trait among all the groups was 39.0%, while 8.2% were homozygous alpha thalassaemia. Asexual parasite prevalence was significantly higher in children (P = 0.008) compared to adults and pregnant women. Of the asexual P. falciparum positive individuals, gametocyte prevalence was 38.5% (15/39) in children, 29.7% (11/37) in pregnant women and 17.4% (4/23) in adults. Heterozygous α-thalassaemic children were less likely to harbour asexual parasites, compared with normal and those deficient (OR = 0.52; 95% CI 0.28-0.97; P = 0.037) under the dominant model. These heterozygous children were also associated with reduced risk of parasitaemia compared to heterozygous adults and pregnant women. Children with heterozygous α-thalassaemia trait had reduced risk of asexual parasite carriage. There was however, no association between α-thalassaemia trait and risk of gametocyte carriage.

Indexed as

alpha-ThalassemiaCarrier StateMalaria, FalciparumParasitemiaPlasmodium falciparumPregnancy Complications, InfectiousAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGerm CellsGhanaHumansMaleAlpha-thalassaemiaGametocyte carriagePlasmodium falciparumSubmicroscopic parasites

Identifiers

PMID30867026
PMCPMC6417235
OpenAlexW2941214663

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.