I am a carrier(I am not sure if that is the right term,but I have this trait but do not show symptoms and if I married another of the same type, a kid we have will need blood transfusion.)

I was diagnosed as a carrier of Sickle cell D trait when I got tested for thelassemia.

Is it true that a Sickle cell aneamic person is immune to malaria?

I do not have much information about this trait in a person.
If anyone could provide a bit more information I will be grateful.

Thanks.

Hope this link helps a little...

Sickle-cell anaemia Introduction - Health encyclopaedia - NHS Direct

Couldn't see anything about malaria - sorry!

Thanks for the link!

There was a recent study that show that people who carry the sickle cell gene are not immune but less likely to get malaria. The study still needs more work so don't expect much out of it yet.

eMedicine - Sickle Cell Anemia, Skeletal : Article by Ivan Ramirez, MD


Four parasitic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium (Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium falciparum) cause human malaria. Of the 4 species, P falciparum causes the most severe morbidity and mortality





Grace and Peace

I asked because mosquitos have an unusual attraction to my skin and even if there is one of them around, it will bite me.

And me being a sickle cell D trait carrier, when I read this statement about malaria in one of the threads here at AMHD, I just had to ask.

Thanks all for the links and information.

Sickle cell trait provides limited protection from P. falciparium infection because it sequesters parasitized cells in the peripheral microvasculature where the pO2 is low enough to cause enhanced sickling. This is important because the main complication of P. falciparum leading to death and extreme disease process is cytoadherence.

So basically - Sickle cell trait ( NOT disease) provides limited protection because it reduces the severity of the worst complications from malaria cause by P. falciparum.

Your best protection is to avoid getting bit all together - there is plenty of information available on this online.

Sickle cell anemia is a recessive gene disorder, it takes two to have the disease. As a carrier, you have one, the other is normal. If you marry another person with the trait there is a 25% chance for a child with SS anemia, 50% as carrier, and 25% with normal hemoglobin genes. Normally, only those with SS anemia will require blood transfusions, carriers and of course those with normal hemoglobin genes would not. There has been some papers suggesting that some carriers may have some "sickling" in extreme stress (low oxygen) situations but that is all I have seen. It has also been suggested that the "sickled" red cells are resistant to malaria infections, (natural gene selection over the years), so these individuals don't die of malaria, but unfortunely the sickle cell anemia usually does them in.
Hope this helps