Examining the association between malaria and splenic injury in children with sickle cell anaemia

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by the formation of sickle-cell hemoglobin. Sickle-cell hemoglobin polymerizes at low oxygen tensions and the red blood cells lose their ability to change shape as a result. This leads to a wide range of disease complications. Sickle cell anemia is characterized by recurrent episodes of acute illness, chronic anemia, and irreversible organ damage. The spleen is among the first organs to be damaged and there is evidence that the spleen’s function is lost already in early childhood. The consequences of this spleen damage can be life-threatening and include invasive bacterial infections. In children with SCA, the spleen is often enlarged early in childhood, followed by fibrosis and total splenic atrophy. However, the exact underlying pathology has not been clarified and it is still unknown exactly what causes the spleen to be damaged. It has been believed for many years that the spleen does not atrophy in children with sickle cell anemia who grow up in areas with malaria, but no previous studies have explored this.

Project details

Basic Science
Vulnerable Populations

Jun 2023

$209,477

Kenya