Parasite invasion and maturation of P falciparum (Palo Alto strain, mycoplasma-free) during 3 cycles of growth in normal, HbAS, beta-thal trait, alpha-thal trait, and HbH E. Inoculum was performed mixing separated normal schizonts with normal or mutant E. Parasitemia of inoculum was adjusted to 4%, final hematocrit of inoculum was 0.5%. Each symbol (○, normal E; •, mutant E) is the mean value ± SD (vertical bars) of 5 experiments. Invasion (I): ratio between ring parasitemia measured 14 to 18 hours after inoculum and inoculum parasitemia (first cycle invasion); or ratio between ring parasitemia measured 62 to 66 hours after inoculum and trophozoite parasitemia measured 40 to 44 hours after inoculum (second cycle invasion); or ratio between ring parasitemia measured 88 to 92 hours after inoculum and trophozoite parasitemia measured 62 to 66 hours after inoculum (third cycle invasion). Maturation (M): ratio between trophozoite parasitemia measured 34 to 38 hours after inoculum and ring parasitemia measured 14 to 18 hours after inoculum (first cycle maturation); or ratio between trophozoite parasitemia measured 82 to 86 hours after inoculum and ring parasitemia measured 62 to 66 hours after inoculum (second cycle maturation); or ratio between trophozoite parasitemia measured 102 to 106 hours after inoculum and ring parasitemia measured 82 to 86 hours after inoculum (third cycle maturation).