Comparative biochemical and hematological analyses of malaria patients and normal human subjects of the Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of the use of biochemical, and hematological indices as 
diagnostic parameters of malaria parasitemia. Twenty (20) normal human subjects and twenty (20) malaria 
patients were subjected to malaria parasite density, total serum protein (P), serum albumin (A), serum 
globulin (G), aspartate amino transferase (AST), conjugated bilirubin (CB), total bilirubin (TB), white blood 
cell total (WBCTotal), packed cell volume (PCV%), plasma triglyceride (TG), and plasma cholesterol (C) tests. 
Thirteen (13) malaria patients had the blood genotype AA and seven (7) malaria patients had the blood 
genotype AS. Fourteen (14) malaria patients suffered from plasmodium falciparum infection and six (6) 
malaria patients suffered from plasmodium vivax infection, of varying degrees of severity. Results recorded 
of the normal human subjects and malaria patients, expressed as mean ± standard error (S.E) (unit) were as 
follows : P  (3.52±0.153) and (3.31±0.11)  (g/dl), A (2.16±0.075) and (1.89±0.155) (g/dl), G (1.55±0.103) and 
(1.35±0.123) (g/dl), AST  (5.8±0.772) and (8.8±0.909) (U/l), CB (0.23±0.037) and (0.56±0.045) (mg/dl), TB 
(0.55±0.069) and (1.04±0.07) (mg/dl), WBCTotal (5120±292.8) and (4320±440.66) (mm), PCV (38.3±1.274) and 
(34.2±0.879) (%), TG (125.47±5.316) and (156±6.734) (mg/dl), and C (116.51±0.417) and (117.76±0.215) (mg/dl), 
respectively. The mean values of G, PCV%, and WBCTotal were significantly lower (p<0.05), but those of AST, 
TG, TB, and CB were significantly higher (p<0.05) in malaria patients compared with normal human 
subjects. The statistical regression and correlation between PCV% and AST (U/l) of malaria patients were 
significant (p<0.05). Incidence of malaria parasitemia correlated positively and significantly (p<0.05) with 
significant decrease (p<0.05) in G, PCV% and WBCTotal, and significant increase (p<0.05) in AST, TG, TB and 
CB. Significant differences/alterations in the values of G, PCV%, WBCTotal, TG, TB, CB, and AST (in 
comparism with normal human subjects), could be used as effective criteria/yardstick for the diagnosis of 
malaria parasitemia.