@article{fdi:010087767,
  title = {{I}nfluence of the sickle cell trait on {P}lasmodium falciparum infectivity from naturally infected gametocyte carriers},
  author = {{N}gou, {C}. {M}. and {B}ayibeki, {A}. {N}. and {A}bate, {L}uc and {M}akinde, {O}. {S}. and {F}eufack-{D}onfack, {L}. {B}. and {S}arah-{M}atio, {E}. {M}. and {B}ouopda-{T}uedom, {A}. {G}. and {T}aconet, {P}aul and {M}oiroux, {N}icolas and {A}wono-{A}mbene, {P}. {H}. and {T}alman, {A}rthur and {A}yong, {L}. {S}. and {B}erry, {A}. and {N}sango, {S}. {E}. and {M}orlais, {I}sabelle},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground {S}ickle cell trait ({SCT}) refers to the carriage of one abnormal copy of the beta-globin gene, the {H}b{S} allele. {SCT} offers protection against malaria, controlling parasite density and preventing progression to symptomatic malaria. {H}owever, it remains unclear whether {SCT} also affects transmission stages and mosquito infection parameters. {D}eciphering the impact of the {SCT} on human to mosquito malaria transmission is key to understanding mechanisms that maintain the trait in malaria endemic areas.{M}ethods {T}he study was conducted from {J}une to {J}uly 2017 among asymptomatic children living in the locality of {M}fou, {C}ameroon. {B}lood samples were collected from asymptomatic children to perform malaria diagnosis by microscopy, {P}lasmodium species by {PCR} and hemoglobin typing by {RFLP}. {I}nfectiousness of gametocytes to mosquitoes was assessed by membrane feeding assays using blood from gametocyte carriers of {H}b{AA} and {H}b{AS} genotypes. {A} zero-inflated model was fitted to predict distribution of oocysts in mosquitoes according to hemoglobin genotype of the gametocyte source.{R}esults{A}mong the 1557 children enrolled in the study, 314 (20.16%) were of the {H}b{AS} genotype. {T}he prevalence of children with {P}. falciparum gametocytes was 18.47% in {H}b{AS} individuals and 13.57% in {H}b{AA}, and the difference is significant (chi(2) = 4.61, {P} = 0.032). {M}ultiplicity of infection was lower in {H}b{AS} gametocyte carriers (median = 2 genotypes/carrier in {H}b{AS} versus 3.5 genotypes/carrier in {H}b{AA}, {W}ilcoxon sum rank test = 188, {P} = 0.032). {G}ametocyte densities in the blood donor significantly influenced mosquito infection prevalence in both {H}b{AS} and {H}b{AA} individuals. {T}he {H}b{AS} genotype had no significant effect on mosquito infection outcomes when using immune or naive serum in feeding assays. {I}n {AB} replacement feeding experiments, the odds ratio of mosquito infection for {H}b{AA} blood as compared to {H}b{AS} was 0.56 (95% {CI} 0.29-1.10), indicating a twice higher risk of infection in mosquitoes fed on gametocyte-containing blood of {H}b{AS} genotype.{C}onclusion{P}lasmodium transmission stages were more prevalent in {SCT} individuals. {T}his may reflect the parasite's enhanced investment in the sexual stage to increase their survival rate when asexual replication is impeded. {T}he public health impact of our results points the need for intensive malaria control interventions in areas with high prevalence of {H}b{AS}. {T}he similar infection parameters in feeding experiments where mosquitoes received the original serum from the blood donor indicated that immune responses to gametocyte surface proteins occur in both {H}b{AS} and {H}b{AA} individuals. {T}he higher risk of infection in mosquitoes fed on {H}b{AS} blood depleted of immune factors suggests that changes in the membrane properties in {H}b{AS} erythrocytes may impact on the maturation process of gametocytes within circulating red blood cells.},
  keywords = {{S}ickle cell trait ; {A}symptomatic carriers ; {M}alaria transmission ; {M}osquito infectivity ; {G}ametocytes ; {CAMEROUN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{BMC} {I}nfectious {D}iseases},
  volume = {23},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {317 [11 ]},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1186/s12879-023-08134-x},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010087767},
}