Abstract

The study was carried out to investigate the distribution of cerebral malaria in central region and to identify ICAM-1 alleles and genotypes frequency in Sudanese population in the region. Fifty children with cerebral malaria and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls with no history of cerebral malaria were enrolled in the study. The highest incidence of cerebral malaria was found between the ages of 4 – 8 years. From 10 different tribal stocks, 28% of incidents belong to the Johayna tribe in the western region of central Sudan. The incidence of cerebral malaria in this study is influenced by geographical, age, and ethnic factors with no gender variation. From this study four (8%) of study subjects died, 4 (8%) survived with neurological sequel and 42 (84%) were discharged alive and healthy after treatment regimen. The use of allele specific PCR (ASP) for genetic analysis in this study, indicated incidence of the heterozygous form (K29/M29) is 26% in cerebral malaria patients and 12% in the control group, while only one (2%) mutant homozygous (M29/M29) was detected in cerebral malaria patients group. All subjects who carried mutant allele (heterozygous and homozygous mutant) had 3 times susceptibility to cerebral malaria than the other group (P-value= 0.038, Odd Ratio = 2.5; 95% CI 1.011 - 6.181). The incidence of ICAM-1^kilifi allele frequency in the study group was 11%, and this may increase the risk for susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Sudanese children inhabiting these regions.

Key words: ICAM-1, cerebral malaria, children, central Sudan.