Genotyping of the Duffy blood group among Plasmodium knowlesi-infected patients in Malaysia

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 30;9(9):e108951. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108951. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The Duffy blood group is of major interest in clinical medicine as it plays an important role in Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax infection. In the present study, the distribution of Duffy blood group genotypes and allelic frequencies among P. knowlesi infected patients as well as healthy individuals in Peninsular Malaysia were determined. The blood group of 60 healthy blood donors and 51 P. knowlesi malaria patients were genotyped using allele specific polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR). The data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test in order to assess the significance of the variables. Our results show a high proportion of the FY*A/FY*A genotype (>85% for both groups) and a high frequency of the FY*A allele (>90% for both groups). The FY*A/FY*A genotype was the most predominant genotype in both infected and healthy blood samples. The genotype frequency did not differ significantly between the donor blood and the malaria patient groups. Also, there was no significant correlation between susceptibility to P. knowlesi infection with any Duffy blood genotype.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Duffy Blood-Group System / classification
  • Duffy Blood-Group System / genetics*
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genotype*
  • Genotyping Techniques
  • Humans
  • Malaria / diagnosis
  • Malaria / genetics*
  • Malaria / parasitology
  • Malaysia
  • Plasmodium knowlesi / isolation & purification*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Duffy Blood-Group System

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the University of Malaya High Impact Research Fund, UM-MOHE (E000050 : UM.C/HIR/MOHE/MED/16). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.