Sickle cell gene more widespread, says study

Human migrations have led to the sickle cell gene becoming more globally widespread.

The sickle cell gene (haemoglobin S or HbS) was historically common in people from Indian, African and Mediterranean origin; however it has become more prevalent in other parts of the world.

That is according to a study by the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP), an international group of researchers mainly funded by the Wellcome Trust.

The research maps the geographical contemporary distribution of sickle haemoglobin – a genetic disorder causing sickle cell anaemia – and it also approximates the number of newborns affected by this illness.

Inheriting the sickle cell gene were around 5.5 million newborns, with about 300,000 babies born with sickle cell anaemia in 2010, stated the latest research.

The 5.5 million people who inherit the gene will typically not endure any medical issues; however they could still pass it on to their children and also give birth to babies afflicted by sickle cell anaemia.

In order to successfully create policies that effectively prevent and treat the condition, accurate approximations of the number and geographical distribution of those affected is imperative.

About half of the affected newborns are born in Nigeria, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although significant doubts remain in large parts of these countries due to a deficiency of data, said the MAP team.

Sickle cell disease has been studied for over a century, however knowledge about its current distribution is poor, explained Dr Fred Piel from Oxford University's Department of Zoology.

Awareness is growing around the "burden" of genetic blood disorders, specifically sickle cell disease.

It is very important for public health policy makers to access evidence-based quantitative epidemiological data that assesses the current situation and measures changes in the future, stated the doctor.

"In the future, we hope that accessing additional data, including from national screening programmes, would help further refine these results," said the expert.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths