Impact of Host Iron Status and Iron Supplement Use on Erythrocytic Stage of Plasmodium Falciparum

The purpose of this study is to perform laboratory based studies to determine if the growth and development of the malaria parasite is effected by iron status of its host (the person infected with the malaria parasite). Iron deficiency affects over 500 million people including many pregnant women and children from areas of the world that are plagued by malaria. Some population based studies have suggested that iron deficiency protects people from getting malaria and this has raised questions about the wisdom of public health policies that provide universal iron supplementation in countries where malaria is common. We will use red blood cells and sera from patients with iron deficiency anemia, hereditary hemochromatosis and normal individuals who are taking iron supplements to look at this question in a very systematic way. This study should provide information for or against a possible mechanism by which iron deficiency may affect the malaria parasite. The results will contribute to efforts to develop evidence-based public health policies on iron supplementation policies in malaria-endemic areas. There are three different types of individuals involved in this study (1) people with iron deficiency anemia who will be taking iron supplementation (2) people without iron deficiency anemia who will be taking iron supplementation and (3) people with a condition called hereditary hemochromatosis who have an excess of iron in their bodies.