Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41708680›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

α-Thalassemia has no association with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum carriage in three ecological zones of Ghana.

Augustine Boakye Donkor, Frank George Bernasko, Anisa Abdulai, Nana Aba Sertowu Eyeson, Raphael Lartey Abban, Elaine Asiwome Boadu, Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, Yaw Asare Afrane, Linda Eva Amoah

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Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Augustine Boakye DonkorDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Frank George BernaskoDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Anisa AbdulaiDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Nana Aba Sertowu EyesonDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Raphael Lartey AbbanDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Elaine Asiwome BoaduDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Kwadwo Asamoah KusiDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Yaw Asare AfraneDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Linda Eva AmoahDepartment of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. levaamoah@noguchi.ug.edu.gh.

Funding

Regional Centre for Vector Borne Diseases in West Africa (RCVBD)D43TW011513 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF GHANA · PI YAW ASARE AFRANE, Guiyun Yan · 2021 to 2026
$1.5M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW011513NIH HHS D43 TW 011513
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

α-thalassemia, a hereditary disorder, common in malaria-endemic regions, provides selective advantage by conferring partial protection against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. This study investigated the distribution of α-thalassemia genotypes and Plasmodium falciparum carriage among 1401 asymptomatic individuals aged 1-60 years, across Ghana's coastal, forest, and Sahel savanna ecological zones. DNA was extracted from archived dried blood spots and genotyped for α-thalassemia using multiplex PCR, while malaria was detected through RDT, microscopy, and PCR. Participants from the forest zone had the highest malaria prevalence by PCR (36.5%) compared to those in the Sahel savannah zone (27.6%), and coastal zone (23.5%), p < 0.0001. In the coastal zone, 54.3% (482/887) of participants had the wild type genotype (αα/αα), 41.8% (371/887) were heterozygous carriers (-α/αα), and 3.8% (34/887) were homozygous recessive for α-thalassemia (-α/-α). In the forest zone participants had 66.0% (134/203) wild type, 30.5% (62/203) heterozygous, and 3.5% (7/203) homozygous individuals, while participants in Sahel savannah recorded 62.7% (195/311) wild type, 31.5% (98/311) heterozygous, and 5.8% (18/311) homozygous recessive genotypes. There were higher odds of having asexual parasites (Odds Ratio = 1.23) and an increased odds (Odds Ratio = 1.46) of gametocyte carriage in the homozygous recessive group compared to the wild type, p = 0.447 but there were no statistically significant association observed between α-thalassemia genotype and the presence of asexual P. falciparum stages.

Indexed as

alpha-ThalassemiaMalaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGenotypeGhanaHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceYoung AdultEcological zoneGametocyte carriagePlasmodium falciparumα-Thalassemia

Identifiers

PMID41708680
PMCPMC13013582

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