Association Between CD55 Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Uncomplicated Malaria Imported from Africa in a Chinese Han Population

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The increasing number of imported malaria cases has become a serious public health issue in China. However, the relationship between human genetic variations and malaria susceptibility within the Chinese Han population remains insufficiently understood. This study aims to investigate the contribution of CD55 polymorphisms to the susceptibility of uncomplicated malaria infection imported from Africa in Han Chinese individuals. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> This case-control study included 348 patients with uncomplicated <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> (<i>P. falciparum</i>) infections imported from Africa and 276 healthy controls from a Chinese population. Genotyping of CD55 polymorphisms rs2564978, rs6691942, and rs1507765 was conducted using a Sequenom MassARRAY system. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated through nonconditional logistic regression analysis. Haplotype and linkage disequilibrium tests were performed using the Haploview 4.2 software. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the 624 samples, 619 were successfully genotyped for rs2564978, and 620 were successfully genotyped for rs6691942 and rs1507765. A statistically significant difference in genotype distribution between the case and control groups was observed for the rs2564978 polymorphism. Specifically, the heterozygous CT genotype (<i>p</i> = 0.035) and the dominant genetic model CC + CT versus TT (<i>p</i> = 0.044, OR = 1.441, 95% CI: 1.010-2.056) of rs2564978 were associated with an increased risk of uncomplicated malaria, respectively. Haplotype analysis revealed that rs2564978 and rs6691942 were in linkage disequilibrium. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The findings suggested that the rs2564978 polymorphism of the CD55 gene may increase the risk of uncomplicated malaria imported from Africa in the Chinese Han population.