Background Providing RhD-negative red cell transfusions is a challenge in East Asia, represented by China, Korea, and Japan, where the frequency of RhD-negative is the lowest in the world. Findings Among 56 ethnic groups in China, the RhD-negative frequency in Han, the prevalent ethnicity, is 0.5% or less, similar to most other ethnic groups. The Uyghur ethnic group has the highest reported RhD-negative frequency of up to 4.7%, as compared to 13.9% in the US. However, an estimated 7.15 million RhD-negative people live in China. The RhD-negative phenotype typically results from a loss of the entire RHD gene, causing the lack of the RhD protein and D antigen. The DEL phenotype carries a low amount of the D antigen and types as RhD-negative in routine serology. The DEL prevalence in RhD-negative individuals averages 23.3% in the Han, 17% in the Hui and 2.4% in the Uyghur ethnicities. The Asian type DEL, also known as RHD*DEL1 and RHD:c.1227G > A allele, is by far the most prevalent among the 13 DEL alleles observed in China. Conclusion The purpose of this review is to summarize the data on DEL and to provide a basis for practical strategy decisions in managing patients and donors with DEL alleles in East Asia using molecular assays.

The human ACKR1 gene encodes a glycoprotein expressing the Duffy blood group antigens (Fy). The Duffy protein acts as a receptor for distinct pro-inflammatory cytokines and malaria parasites. We determined the haplotypes of the ACKR1 gene in a population inhabiting a malaria-endemic area. We collected blood samples from 60 healthy volunteers in Ethiopia’s southwestern low-altitude tropical region. An assay was devised to amplify the ACKR1 gene as a single amplicon and determine its genomic sequence. All haplotypes were resolved at 5178 nucleotides each, covering the coding sequence (CDS) of the ACKR1 gene and including the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTR), intron 1, and the 5′- and 3′-flanking regions. When necessary, allele-specific PCR with nucleotide sequencing or length polymorphism analysis was applied. Among the 120 chromosomes analyzed, 18 ACKR1 alleles were confirmed without ambiguity. We found 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); only one SNP was novel. The non-coding sequences harbored 14 SNPs. No SNP, other than c.-67T>C, indicative of a non-functional allele, was detected. We described haplotypes of the ACKR1 gene in an autochthonous East-African population and found 18 distinct ACKR1 alleles. These long-range alleles are useful as templates to phase and analyze next-generation sequencing data, thus enhancing the reliability of clinical diagnostics.

Apicomplexan parasites have challenged researchers for nearly a century. A major challenge to developing efficient treatments and vaccines is the parasite’s ability to change its cellular and molecular makeup to develop intracellular and extracellular niches in its hosts. Ca2+ signaling is an important messenger for the egress of the malaria parasite from the infected erythrocyte, gametogenesis, ookinete motility in the mosquito, and sporozoite invasion of mammalian hepatocytes. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) have crucial functions in calcium signaling at various stages of the parasite’s life cycle; this therefore makes them attractive drug targets against malaria. Here, we summarize the functions of the various CDPK isoforms in relation to the malaria life cycle by emphasizing the molecular mechanism of developmental progression within host tissues. We also discuss the current development of anti-malarial drugs, such as how specific bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs) for parasite CDPKs have been shown to reduce infection in Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Plasmodium falciparum. Our suggested combinations of BKIs, artemisinin derivatives with peroxide bridge, and inhibitors on the Ca(2+)-ATPase PfATP6 as a potential target should be inspected further as a treatment against malaria.

Our data indicate that miR-1297 contribute to the human cervical carcinoma through PTEN. miR-1297 could be a reasonable miRNA for future studies.