Prevalence of the Main Human Genetic Variants Related to Resistance to Malaria in a Population of the Colombian Pacific Coast.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Duffy, HbS, HbC, G6PD, and β-thalassemia variants through molecular characterisation in a representative sample of the population from the urban area of Buenaventura, Colombia.

Material and methods: A total of 819 individuals were randomly selected from 12 communities within the city. Molecular analysis was performed using PCR-RFLP and allele-specific PCR. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, tests of independence, and regression analysis.

Results: Frequencies of 3.1%, 2.2%, 72.2%, 2.1%, 2.8%, and 11% were found for the resistance alleles HbS, HbC, Duffy, β-thalassemia-29, β-thalassemia-88 and G6PD, respectively. In addition, adolescents and young adults (13 to 26 years) presented the highest proportion of resistance genotypes. Likewise, the communities of the insular zone of Buenaventura had the highest proportion of resistance genotypes.

Conclusions: These findings should be considered by public health and disease prevention authorities, as they highlight specific age groups and communities that may be more susceptible to malaria infection. They also identify groups that may contribute to the persistence and potential increase in the prevalence of haemoglobinopathies in the population over time.