Person having heterozygous sickle cell trait is protected from infection of -: (A) Plasmodium falciparum, (B) P.vivax, (C) Pneumococcus, (D) Salmonella
Answer is A. Ans. (a) Plasmodium falciparum(Ref: Robbins 9th/pg 635-636; 8th/pg 645-646; Wintrobe's 12th/pg 1038)Person having heterozygous sickle cell trait is protected from infection of Plasmodium falciparum Mechanism by which patients with sickle cell trait are protected against Malaria:Preferential sickling of parasitized cells has been seen in the blood of children with sickle cell trait & malaria.Selective removal of sickled cells from the circulation probably reduces the degree of parasitemia and substantially limits the infectious process.