As mentioned by Dr Moalem on pg 73 in the chapter “Hey, Bud, Can You Do Me a Fava?,” malaria was common in several parts of Korea during the Korean War. Malaria is a parasitic disease that is spread from human to human. Parasites enter the bloodstream and infect the red blood cells, which can be lethal. In response to the rising Malaria epidemic, American soldiers were given primaquine to prevent spread it. Relating to Big Idea 4 (Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions have complex properties), answer the following questions completely. Use pages 73-75 in the book as well as the internet.
What is primaquine? How does primaquine prevent the spreading of malaria? What is G6PD and it’s function in a cell? What relation does primaquine have with G6PD? What is Anemia and Hemolytic Anemia, and what makes them different? How is anemia caused by primaquine? Why was anemia caused by primaquine more prevalent in African Americans during the Korean War? Why was hemolytic anemia more prevalent in those of Mediterranean descent during the Korean War? Finally, malaria occurs is the red blood cells of a human, so how does G6PD react with Malaria?
Noella James (noellajames@gmail.com)
What is primaquine? How does primaquine prevent the spreading of malaria? What is G6PD and it’s function in a cell? What relation does primaquine have with G6PD? What is Anemia and Hemolytic Anemia, and what makes them different? How is anemia caused by primaquine? Why was anemia caused by primaquine more prevalent in African Americans during the Korean War? Why was hemolytic anemia more prevalent in those of Mediterranean descent during the Korean War? Finally, malaria occurs is the red blood cells of a human, so how does G6PD react with Malaria?
Noella James (noellajames@gmail.com)
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ReplyDeleteMalaria is a parasitic disease that is spread from human to human. Parasites enter the bloodstream and infect the red blood cells, which can be lethal. In Survival of the Sickest, Dr. Moalem discusses the how American soldiers were given primaquine to prevent spread it in response to the rising malaria epidemic during Korean War. Primaquine belongs to a group of drugs called the anti-malarial; It is used to treat malaria in an infected person. Primaquine acts by interfering with a part of the parasite (mitochondria) that is responsible for supplying it with energy (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel-health/medicines/primaquine.html#ixzz2POYQbMOV). Without energy the parasite dies. This stops the infection from continuing and allows the person to recover.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between G6PD and Malaria relates to Big Idea 4 (Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions have complex properties). G6PD--which stands for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-- is a cytosolic enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway, a metabolic pathway that supplies reducing energy to cells by maintaining the level of the co-enzyme NADPH. It has a important function in red blood cells: G6PD protects cellular integrity, mopping up chemical elements that would otherwise destroy the cell (74). When G6PD is on the job, it throws out the free radicals (primaquine), so they can't start trouble; however, when someone doesn't have enough G6PD, primaquine can cause the cell membranes to burst, destroying his/her red blood cells.
The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which the blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, or high rates of red blood cell destruction. Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia; it is caused by high rates of red blood cell destruction (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ha/). That loss of red blood cells spells anemia-- specifically, hemolytic anemia, which is anemia that is caused by the early breakdown of red blood cells by primaquine (75).
Doctors soon discovered that about 10 percent of African American soldiers developed anemia while taking primaquine and, some soldiers, especially those of Mediterranean descent. experienced an even more severe side effect called hemolytic anemia-- their red blood cells were literally bursting. (73-74). Later, medical researchers found out that African-Americans, especially those of Mediterranean descent, lacked sufficient amounts of an enzyme G6PD, which was thought to be present in every cell in the body. Most of the people vulnerable to this disorder are of African descent. Actually, if you overlap a map of the incidence of sickle cell disease with a map of the incidence of malaria, there is a strong correlation: it is genetics. If one has the disease, untreated, he/she would die young and the disease should extinguish itself after enough generations. The reason why it persists is because being a carrier of the gene gives a person resistance to malaria. Carriers survive both diseases to pass on the sickle cell gene.
G6PD deficiency, which was caused by the high rates of red blood cell destruction, affects males of African or Mediterranean descent. In patients with G-6-PD deficiency, oxidant drugs and stress from infections can trigger hemolysis. Fava beans can induce hemolysis in susceptible individuals with the African-American and Mediterranean variant of G-6-PD deficiency (77). G6PD deficiency is mainly found in areas where malaria is or has been endemic. In these areas, malaria is treated with drugs that can cause (severe) hemolysis in G6PD-deficient individuals. A cheap and reliable test is necessary for diagnosing the deficiency to prevent hemolytic disorders when treating malaria (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2762880/).
ReplyDeleteThis topic relates to the Unit 9- Meiosis & Patterns of Inheritance. Strong correlation with genetics and disease proves that the reason why it persists is because being a carrier of the gene gives a person resistance to malaria. Carriers survive both diseases to pass on the sickle cell gene (autosomal dominant). If a male (a sickle cell disease carrier) mates with another carrier female, even if neither of them have the sickle cell disease, their offspring could get the sickle cell gene from them, in which case, that child would have the disease. The topic also relates to the unit 11- Immunity System. Anemia is a lack of hemoglobinin one's blood. Blood carries oxygen to some one's organs and other important nutrients such as immunity cells. If he/she doesn't have enough hemoglobins, his/her blood can't carry all the important nutrients to his/her body.
(Hyung Eun Lee, helee4@students.d125.org)