Human single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs associated with Knops blood group system; carried by complement receptor 1 may be associated with the pathology of P. falciparum malaria, and susceptibility to disease.
Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO), α(+)-thalassemia, and low expression of complement receptor 1 (CR1) have been associated with protection against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Complement receptor 1 (CR1/CD35) levels on erythrocytes and related CR1 polymorphisms have been associated with response to falciparum malaria in populations inhabiting malaria-endemic regions.
It has been hypothesized that the African alleles Sl2 and McCb of the Swain-Langley (Sl) and McCoy (McC) blood group antigens of the complement receptor 1 (CR1) may confer a survival advantage in the setting of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but this has not been demonstrated.
The Knops blood group antigen erythrocyte polymorphisms have been associated with reduced falciparum malaria-based in vitro rosette formation (putative malaria virulence factor).
To investigate the relationship between CR1 density polymorphism and disease severity, we typed 185 Thai patients with acute falciparum malaria (55 severe and 130 uncomplicated) for their genotypes of this polymorphism.