Abstract:
Background: Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia with wide-ranging hematological
and biochemical alterations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess malaria
parasitemia and its association with lipid and hematological parameters.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to June 30, 2014.
Of 200 study participants, 100 were confirmed malaria patients and 100 healthy controls. Study
participants were included based on systematic random sampling techniques. Seven milliliters
of blood samples were collected for investigation of hematological and lipid parameters. Data
were entered and analyzed using SPSS-20 statistical software. Independent t-test and one-way
analysis of variance were run to compare mean differences. A P<0.05 was considered as statistically
significant.
Results: A total of 200 study participants (78.5% males and 21.5% females) were included
with a mean age of 24.67±11.2 years. A majority of malaria patients were infected with Plasmodium
falciparum (66%). According to parasitic load, 38%, 52%, and 10% patients were
reported with low, moderate, and high malaria parasitemia, respectively. There were statistically
significant mean differences in white blood cells count ([6.875±3.20 vs 5.835±2.01]×103/μL),
neutrophil (63.1%±8.7% vs 56.0%±12.7%), hemoglobin (11.9±2.0 vs 14.5±3.0 gm/dL), hematocrit
(36.2%±7.8% vs 42.4%±8.3%), platelet count ([175.3±136 vs 193.4±81.9]×103/μL),
high-density lipoprotein (19.6±13.7 vs 35.5±12.3 mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein (34.7±23.5
vs 64.5±29.3 mg/dL), triglyceride (118.0±61.3 vs 101.7±36.8 mg/dL), and total cholesterol
(88.0±36.3 vs 148.7±39.1 mg/dL) for cases and controls, respectively (P<0.05). In patients
with different densities of malaria parasitemia there were statistically significant differences in
total red blood cells count ([4.4±0.8 vs 4.8±0.8 vs 5.3±0.7] ×106/μL), hemoglobin concentration
([11.9±1.8 vs 11.6±1.8 vs 13.4±3.0] gm/dl), and platelet count ([227.1±131 vs 186.8±175 vs
156.9±100] ×103/uL) among low, moderate, and high parasitemia, respectively.
Conclusion: This study revealed that routinely used laboratory tests such as lipid and hematological
parameters could be good and reliable adjunct in the early diagnosis of malaria-infected
patients with mild-to-severe parasitemia in malaria endemic areas.
Keywords: malaria parasitemia, hematological parameters, lipid parameters, Ethiopia
