Hemoglobinopathies, merozoite surface protein-2 gene polymorphisms, and acquisition of Epstein Barr virus among infants in Western Kenya

Abstract

Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-associated endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma pediatric cancer is associated with morbidity and mortality among children resident in holoendemic Plasmodium falciparum regions in western Kenya. P. falciparum exerts strong selection pressure on sickle cell trait (SCT), alpha thalassemia (-α3.7/αα), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP-2) variants (FC27, 3D7) that confer reduced malarial disease severity. The current study tested the hypothesis that SCT, (-α3.7/αα), G6PD mutation and (MSP-2) variants (FC27, 3D7) are associated with an early age of EBV acquisition.