Malaria, cause of ahaptoglobinaemia in Africans

The lack of serum haptoglobin in Africans has been investigated in the Congo, Central Africa, where HpO prevalence is about 30%. This study shows that it is possible to suppress ahaptoglobinaemia within a few weeks by antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, that it does not occur in protected individuals, that ahaptoglobinaemia reappears at its original incidence levels after interruption of chemoprophylaxis, and that some individuals are more susceptible in relation to Hp 2 gene. Malaria is the only significant cause of ahaptoglobinaemia in subjects both with and without detectable parasitaemia. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed.