The Study of Genetic Adaptation to Malaria in Nepal-In Comparison with Cultural Adaptation

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The main purpose of this project is to elucidate the relation between the hereditary RBC disorders such as α-thalassemia and malaria infection among children in a lowland area of Nepal. Up to the present research, we confirmed that the prevalence of malaria is significantly low among the subjects who have α^+-thalassemia genes than those who have not them in the area concerned. However, the prevalence of malaria among the children younger than ten years old was generally low even among those who have not this kind of gene.In order to collect the samples, we carried out field research four times in close cooperation with the teachers of the Shree Dedee Thumka Lower Scondary School in Mahadevsthan Village Development Committee, Kavre-Palanchok District. During our field research, the Maoist, the armed political group in Nepal, has been active, and we had to postpone the schedule of the first research to be conducted in September 2003. However, we had no trouble since the research in Dece … More mber 2003 up to that in September 2005. Every time, we collected samples from approximately 200 children.We are analyzing the samples not only for the detection of RBC disorders including α^+-thalassemia genes, but also for that of malaria infection. The prevalence of α^+-thalassemia by ethnic groups is similar to that of adults. The rate of malaria infection was low even in the post-monsoon season, when the transmission of the parasites wass active. Now we are preparing the detection IgG and IgM antibodies to malaria among children in order to examine their infection in the recent past.We published a paper concerning the prevalence of filariasis in the same area (Watanabe et al. 2003) We also prepared the paper on the correlation between the peoples' attitudes about malaria and the prevalence of hereditary RBC disorders on the basis of the research from 2000 to 2002. The paper on the difference of malaria infection in relation to the frequency of α^+-thalassemia is under preparation. In addition we published a paper concerning diabetes comparing the data obtained in 1990 in the same area with those reported recently by Nepalese researchers. Less