Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection
<i>Babesia</i> is an intraerythrocytic, obligate Apicomplexan parasite that has, in the last century, been implicated in human infections via zoonosis and is now widespread, especially in parts of the USA and Europe. It is naturally transmitted by the bite of a tick, but transfused blood...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Pathogens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/11/1435 |
| _version_ | 1797508876716736512 |
|---|---|
| author | Divya Beri Manpreet Singh Marilis Rodriguez Karina Yazdanbakhsh Cheryl Ann Lobo |
| author_facet | Divya Beri Manpreet Singh Marilis Rodriguez Karina Yazdanbakhsh Cheryl Ann Lobo |
| author_sort | Divya Beri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Babesia</i> is an intraerythrocytic, obligate Apicomplexan parasite that has, in the last century, been implicated in human infections via zoonosis and is now widespread, especially in parts of the USA and Europe. It is naturally transmitted by the bite of a tick, but transfused blood from infected donors has also proven to be a major source of transmission. When infected, most humans are clinically asymptomatic, but the parasite can prove to be lethal when it infects immunocompromised individuals. Hemolysis and anemia are two common symptoms that accompany many infectious diseases, and this is particularly true of parasitic diseases that target red cells. Clinically, this becomes an acute problem for subjects who are prone to hemolysis and depend on frequent transfusions, like patients with sickle cell anemia or thalassemia. Little is known about <i>Babesia</i>’s pathogenesis in these hemoglobinopathies, and most parallels are drawn from its evolutionarily related <i>Plasmodium</i> parasite which shares the same environmental niche, the RBCs, in the human host. In vitro as well as in vivo <i>Babesia</i>-infected mouse sickle cell disease (SCD) models support the inhibition of intra-erythrocytic parasite proliferation, but mechanisms driving the protection of such hemoglobinopathies against infection are not fully studied. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of <i>Babesia</i> infection and hemoglobinopathies, focusing on possible mechanisms behind this parasite resistance and the clinical repercussions faced by <i>Babesia</i>-infected human hosts harboring mutations in their globin gene. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:10:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-85e8d45af9a54c8a93c34de8890ed9fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:10:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-85e8d45af9a54c8a93c34de8890ed9fd2023-11-23T00:53:16ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172021-11-011011143510.3390/pathogens10111435Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> InfectionDivya Beri0Manpreet Singh1Marilis Rodriguez2Karina Yazdanbakhsh3Cheryl Ann Lobo4Department of Blood Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 100065, USADepartment of Blood Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 100065, USADepartment of Blood Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 100065, USADepartment of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 100065, USADepartment of Blood Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 100065, USA<i>Babesia</i> is an intraerythrocytic, obligate Apicomplexan parasite that has, in the last century, been implicated in human infections via zoonosis and is now widespread, especially in parts of the USA and Europe. It is naturally transmitted by the bite of a tick, but transfused blood from infected donors has also proven to be a major source of transmission. When infected, most humans are clinically asymptomatic, but the parasite can prove to be lethal when it infects immunocompromised individuals. Hemolysis and anemia are two common symptoms that accompany many infectious diseases, and this is particularly true of parasitic diseases that target red cells. Clinically, this becomes an acute problem for subjects who are prone to hemolysis and depend on frequent transfusions, like patients with sickle cell anemia or thalassemia. Little is known about <i>Babesia</i>’s pathogenesis in these hemoglobinopathies, and most parallels are drawn from its evolutionarily related <i>Plasmodium</i> parasite which shares the same environmental niche, the RBCs, in the human host. In vitro as well as in vivo <i>Babesia</i>-infected mouse sickle cell disease (SCD) models support the inhibition of intra-erythrocytic parasite proliferation, but mechanisms driving the protection of such hemoglobinopathies against infection are not fully studied. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of <i>Babesia</i> infection and hemoglobinopathies, focusing on possible mechanisms behind this parasite resistance and the clinical repercussions faced by <i>Babesia</i>-infected human hosts harboring mutations in their globin gene.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/11/1435<i>Babesia</i>sickle-cell anemiahemolysishaemoglobinopathies |
| spellingShingle | Divya Beri Manpreet Singh Marilis Rodriguez Karina Yazdanbakhsh Cheryl Ann Lobo Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection Pathogens <i>Babesia</i> sickle-cell anemia hemolysis haemoglobinopathies |
| title | Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection |
| title_full | Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection |
| title_fullStr | Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection |
| title_short | Sickle Cell Anemia and <i>Babesia</i> Infection |
| title_sort | sickle cell anemia and i babesia i infection |
| topic | <i>Babesia</i> sickle-cell anemia hemolysis haemoglobinopathies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/11/1435 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT divyaberi sicklecellanemiaandibabesiaiinfection AT manpreetsingh sicklecellanemiaandibabesiaiinfection AT marilisrodriguez sicklecellanemiaandibabesiaiinfection AT karinayazdanbakhsh sicklecellanemiaandibabesiaiinfection AT cherylannlobo sicklecellanemiaandibabesiaiinfection |