the relationship between hamp gene g71r polymorphism and malaria infection with hemoglobin level to develop genotype-based treatments in endemic malaria areas

Anemia is prevalent among children in malaria-endemic areas, including east nusa tenggara, indonesia, where limited access to medical care complicates treatment. the hamp gene, which encodes the hepcidin hormone, plays a critical role in iron metabolism and storage. this study investigates the g71r variation of the hamp gene in children from a low-transmission malaria-endemic region to explore its potential role in developing genotype-based treatments for anemia. using a cross-sectional analysis, 64 participants with the wildtype allele and 17 heterozygous for the hamp g71r polymorphism were successfully genotyped. the anemia prevalence was 49%, with 40% of cases classified as mild and 60% as moderate. ferritin levels were slightly elevated in the heterozygous group compared to the wildtype group (8.11 ± 4.38 vs. 7.10 ± 3.87 ng/ml; p = 0.516), while hepcidin levels were significantly higher in the heterozygous group (11.59 ± 10.56 vs. 6.62 ± 6.41 ng/ml; p < 0.01). a modest but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ferritin and hepcidin levels (p = 0.037, r = 0.232). the g71r polymorphism was the only hamp variant identified in the cohort. while its direct relationship with anemia remains inconclusive, the hamp g71r variant appears to influence iron storage by regulating ferritin and hepcidin levels. future studies with larger, more diverse populations are essential to validate these findings and assess the clinical relevance of hamp genotyping in managing anemia in resource-limited, malaria-endemic regions.