An observational study in Alpha and Beta Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Disease and Malaria, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-02.
Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Observational
Background:
Blood disorders like sickle cell disease and malaria affect many people around the world. Researchers want to learn more about blood disorders. To do this, they need to collect biological samples from people with blood disorders. They also need to collect samples from healthy people.
Objective:
To collect samples to use for research on blood disorders.
Eligibility:
People ages 18-70 who have blood disorders. Healthy volunteers without blood disorders are also needed.
Design:
Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests.
Participants will give one or more samples. They will give them over 5 years. They can choose not to give any of the samples:
Saliva: Participants will spit into a tube. They may also have the inside of their mouth swabbed.
Urine: Participants will urinate into a cup.
Blood and blood waste products: Blood will be taken through a needle in the participant s arm.
Fat samples: An area on the participant s belly or buttock will be numbed. A small cut will be made into the skin and a small piece of fat removed.
Mucus and cells from the lungs: The participant will be sedated. A flexible tube will be inserted through the nose or mouth into the lung airways. These participants will also have a physical exam, chest x-ray, and heart tests after the procedure.
The Physiology Unit of the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research studies the role of globin variants in erythroid and non-erythroid tissues. We hope to better understand the mechanism(s) through which alpha and beta globin variants impact malaria, sickle cell disease, or other diseases involving inflammation or vascular endothelial dysfunction.
The collection of human specimens from healthy volunteers and patients with malaria, sickle cell disease, or other diseases involving inflammation or endothelial dysfunction is necessary for the development of laboratory and physiological assays to further basic and clinical research studies. This protocol defines the purposes for which specimens will be collected and establishes general conditions under which sample collection will be performed. Development of assays and our research into the roles of alpha and beta globin in normal human physiology, as well as in the pathogenesis of malaria and sickle cell disease, requires laboratory analysis of saliva/buccal swab, urine, blood, blood waste products, adipose tissue, bronchial brushing, and/or bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from human volunteers.
294 studies on the registry are indexed under beta-Thalassemia; 69 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 300 is above the median of 100 across 75 observational studies indexed under beta-Thalassemia.
Browse beta-Thalassemia studies →National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,446 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.
Of its 405 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 302 (75%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Participants may be recruited from other NIH protocols, the NIH Clinical Research Healthy Volunteer Program, patient recruitment websites for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, community outreach, ResearchMatch, and clinicaltrials.gov.
PARTICIPANT INCLUSION CRITERIA:
Willing to allow genetic testing on collected biological samples.
PARTICIPANT EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
The following exclusion criteria apply to all participants who will provide any of the following samples in-person at the NIH CC: saliva, urine, blood, blood waste products, adipose tissue, bronchial brushing, and/or BAL samples:
Any condition that, in the opinion of the PI, contraindicates participation in this study.
1. \< 10 g/dL for healthy female volunteers, \< 12 g/dL for healthy male volunteers, or \< 6 g/dL for participants with sickle cell disease or other chronic anemias.
-Additional Exclusion Criteria for Adipose Tissue
Individuals meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded from undergoing adipose tissue biopsy. If the participant no longer meets any of these criteria at a later time, then they will be allowed to undergo this procedure.
Use of aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are permitted.
-Additional Exclusion Criteria for Bronchoscopy
Individuals meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded from undergoing bronchoscopy. If the participant no longer meets any of these criteria at a later time, then they will be allowed to undergo this procedure.
Co-enrollment guidelines: Participants may be co-enrolled in other studies. However, the PI must be notified of co-enrollment.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
From a breathing test (spirometry): how much air you can blow out in the first second. Often given as a percentage of what is expected for your age, height and sex.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis C tests
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
FEV1
From a breathing test (spirometry): how much air you can blow out in the first second. Often given as a percentage of what is expected for your age, height and sex.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Healthy volunteers and patients with hematologic and hemolytic diseases, including alpha and beta globin variants, sickle cell disease, malaria, or other diseases involving inflammation or endothelial dysfunction.
Collect biological specimens (saliva, urine, blood, blood waste products, adipose tissue, bronchial brushing, and/or BAL)
Development and optimization of scientific assays and research of globin variants, sickle cell disease, malaria, or other related diseases.
Time frame: Throughout study
Plan to share: Undecided — This protocol is not a clinical trial and has no intervention. We do not currently have a plan to share individual participant data (IPD). The IRB-approved data sharing plan in our protocol is as follows: "Identified human data generated in this study will be shared for future research in the Biomedical Translational Research Information System (automatic for activities in the CC). De-identified data may also be shared with outside collaborators under appropriate agreements."
Started Sep 2019 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2029, 114 months after the start.
Of 29 observational studies under beta-Thalassemia, half reached primary completion within 72 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 24 and three quarters within 156. This study's planned 114 months is above that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
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