Abstract:
Objective
We assessed the association of mutant allele frequencies of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2)
gene at two SNPs (-954 and -1173) with malaria disease severity in children from a malaria
endemic area in Southern Ghana.
Method
Using children recruited at the hospital, assigned into clinical subgroups of uncomplicated
and severe malaria and matching with their “healthy control” counterparts, we designed a
case control study. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotyping using Restriction Frag-
ment Polymorphism was done.
Result
A total of 123 malaria cases (91 uncomplicated, 32 severe) and 100 controls were sampled.
Their corresponding mean Hbs were 9.6, 9.3 and 11.2g/dl and geometric mean parasite
densities of 32097, 193252 and 0 parasites/ml respectively. Variant allele frequencies var-
ied from 0.09 through 0.03 to 0.12 for G-954C and 0.06 through 0.03 to 0.07 for C-1173T
in the uncomplicated, severe and healthy control groups respectively. There was a strong
linkage disequilibrium between the two alleles (p<0.001). For the -954 position, the odds of
developing severe malaria was found to be 2.5 times lower with the carriage of a C allele
compared to those without severe malaria (χ2; p< 0.05) though this isn’t the case with -1173.
Conclusion
The carriage of a mutant allele in the -954 NOS2 gene may have a protective effect on
malaria among Southern Ghanaian children.
