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Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 22:54:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Favorite <rwfavorite@uc*.ed*>
To: "A.Appleyard" <A.APPLEYARD@fs*.mt*.um*.ac*.uk*>
cc: techdiver@terra.net
Subject: Re: Thalassemia minor and diving

On Tue, 26 Sep 1995, A.Appleyard wrote:

>   I read that the real natural purpose of thalassaemia is that the malaria
> parasite doesn't grow properly in thalassaemic blood. That is why thalassaemia
> is common where malaria is or was endemic.
> I don't think thalassemia has a "purpose" it is an inherited 
abnormality of the red blood cell that causes oxygen to not bind as 
tightly to hemoglobin.  It is related to sickle cell anemia which is also 
a red cell defect and both do offer protection from malaria.  
Unfortunately the homozygous form of thalassemia is lethal.
   Bob Favorite

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