Relation Between the Dantu Blood Group Variant and Bacteremia in Kenyan Children: A Population-Based Case-Control...

Area of Science:

• Genetics and Human Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Hematology

Background:

• The Dantu blood group variant is known to confer protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
• The broader health implications of the Dantu variant, especially concerning bacterial infections, remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Dantu blood group variant and susceptibility to bacteremia in children.
• To determine if the Dantu variant influences the risk of all-cause and pathogen-specific bacteremia.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted with children presenting with community-acquired bacteremia in Kenya (1998-2010).
• Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the Dantu single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs186873296 A > G) and bacteremia.
• Malaria transmission intensity was proxied by the date of admission.

Main Results:

• The Dantu variant demonstrated a protective association with all-cause bacteremia (OR, 0.81; P = .014), with stronger protection in homozygotes (OR, 0.30; P = .013).
• Protection against major bacterial pathogens was observed, but this was significant only during periods of high malaria transmission (pre-2003).

Conclusions:

• The Dantu variant protects against bacteremia, primarily through its influence on malaria risk, similar to other malaria-associated red cell variants.
• Evidence does not support balancing selection for the Dantu variant due to an increased risk of bacterial infections.