<p>Effect of HbAA, HbAC and HbAS on SC determined with <i>ev</i>SCAs.</p>

Parasite isolates from RBCs with different HBB genotypes cultured <i>ex vivo</i>, ML10 added at 11 hpi., MACS-enriched stage I gametocytes and schizonts detected by IFA Pfs16 (sexual stages) and DAPI (total parasites) staining. SCR (%): number of sexual stages/number of total parasites. <b>(B)</b> Representative IFA images of parasites in HbAA, HbAC and HbAS RBCs.

Top row with DAPI (all parasites; blue arrows: schizonts) and AF488 (white arrows: stage I gametocytes) overlay and bottom row including brightfield (BF) channel to visualize the parasite’s hemozoin. Objective: 40 × ; Scale bar: 5µm. <b>(C)</b> SCRs by HBB genotype determined using IFA. Individual dots, represent the mean SCR of three independent technical IFA replicates from one culture; the horizontal line and error bars indicate the median SCR and IQR of all cultures from the same HBB genotype. <b>(D)</b> Initial parasitemia at 0 hpc by HBB genotype Statistical tests: C, Beta-binomial GL(M)M with per-genotype dispersion parameter and Bonferroni correction for pairwise comparisons; D, Kruskal-Wallis test.