Sickle-Cell Anemia Haplotype Map

On this map, the distribution of sickle-cell anemia haplotypes among nations with high prevalence of the disease are shown. Five distinct beta-globin haplotypes (indicated by colors) are found in patients with sickle-cell anemia. Each color represents a different haplotype named after the country in which it was first discovered, not necessarily its genetic origin. Indeed, these haplotypes are not restricted to the appellate nation, and they can be found broadly distributed (i.e., Benin haplotype in multiple nations, or multiple haplotypes within a single nation). The haplotype data represented in this image were summarized from genetic epidemiological studies of sickle-cell patients across different regions. Because the number of patients per study and the population ascertainment methods are highly variable, the colors denote only the relative frequency of each haplotype within a given study group. CAR= Central African Republic. Data were taken from Monteiro et al., 1989; Nagel and Ranney, 1990; Oner et al., 1992; Rahimi et al., 2003; Schroeder et al., 1990; and references therein.