Haemoglobin E Distribution in Four Endogamous Populations of Manipur (India)

Year 2010, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 109 - 117, 30.12.2010

Maishnam Rustam Singh Bapukan Choudhury T. Shyamacharan Singh

Abstract

The present paper is a report on the prevalence of Haemoglobin E (HbE) among four endogamous populations of Manipur (India) namely the Kabui, Koireng, Simte and the Meitei. The
average allele frequency of HbβE observed among the Meitei is 0.101. However, the frequency of
HbβE ranges from 0.045 to 0.226 among various sections of the Meitei. The frequency of HbβE
among the Phayeng Chakpa shows the highest value (0.226) while the Ningthoukhong Meitei
shows the lowest (0.045). The frequency of HbβE among the hill Kabui population is 0.035 followed by the Koireng (0.029) and the Simte (0.012). The frequency of HbβE among the various
tribal populations of malaria endemic zones of Manipur is below 0.04. It is indicative that the
ethnic origin and marriage system may be the responsible factors for variation in the frequencies
of HbE gene among the populations of Manipur. In the present study, neither protective advantage of HbβE against malaria nor harmful effect of homozygous (HbEE) genotype could be
satisfactorily established.

Keywords

Haemoglobin E, malaria, endogamous, populations of Manipur

References

• Brumpt LC, Brumpt V, Coquelet ML, Detraverse PM. (1958) La detection de l’hemoglobine E. Etudes des populations Cambodgiennes. Rev Hemat 13:21-30.