A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIGIT RATIOS OF SICKLE CELL AND NORMAL SUBJECTS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA

*Josiah S. Hart and Aaron Boma Philip

ABSTRACT

Background: This study was carried out to determine the morphological association of sickle cell patients in southern part of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Comparative analysis of two hundred (200) subjects were carefully studied. The subjects comprise one hundred (100) sickle cell subjects 60 female (SS) and 40 males (SS) and 100 normal (60 females and 40 males). The parameters studied was the 2D digital ratio (ring finger) and 40 digit ratios (index finger). Results and Discussion: Statistically analysis showed no significant differences between sickle cell patients and normal humans (0>0.05). Adult sex hormones are sexual dimorphic and this is determined during early fetal development. Males tend to have a lower 2D; 4D ratio than females. Conclusion: This sex differences in 2D: 4D could be a result of utero concentration of sex steroids, with a low 2D:4D (for male) being positively related to prenatal testosterone (i.e. high levels of testosterone facilitates the growth of the ring finger) while high 2D:4D (for female) is positively related with prenatal oestrogen.

Keywords: Index finger, Ring finger, Digit Ratio, Sickle cell, Nigeria.