Hemoglobin A2 and malaria

The concentration of hemoglobin A2 in red cell hemolysates from 81 children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been compared with that of 30 children without malaria living in the same environment. The result in subjects with malaria—2.39% ± 0.055 (mean ± se)—was not significantly different from the value of 2.30% ± 0.12 in those without malaria (P > 0.2). No difference was found in the levels during and 2 months after an attack of malaria. It is concluded that, in the population studied, malaria does not affect the usefulness of a raised concentration of hemoglobin A2 in the diagnosis of beta thalassemia minor.