MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor) promoter polymorphisms and susceptibility to severe malarial anemia

Abstract

Severe malarial anemia (SMA) resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection is one of the leading causes of childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The innate immune mediator macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of SMA. METHODS: To investigate the influence of MIF genetic variation on susceptibility to SMA, haplotypes of the MIF-173G/C and-794CATT5-8 polymorphisms were examined in a cohort of Kenyan children. RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship between increasing frequencies of longer CATT repeats at-794 and increasing severity of malarial anemia was observed. In addition, there was a strong association between lower MIF concentrations and longer CATT repeats. Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the 6G haplotype (ie, MIF-794CATT6/-173G) was associated …