Correlation between Thrombocytopenia and Anaemia in Plasmodium falciparum malaria among patients in Kisumu County-Western Kenya

Background: Malaria is associated with haematological complications which may be avoided by early diagnosis and treatment. Microscopic diagnosis showing presence of malarial parasites is needed for confirmation which requires technical expertise. The study was therefore carried out determine the correlation between thrombocytopenia and anaemia in P.falciparum malaria.Methods: The study was conducted in Kisumu County-Kenya which is a highly endemic malaria region. Both thick and thin blood smears were used to determine P. falciparum infection status in a total of 228 patients presenting with acute febrile illness. All participants’ demographics and Haematological parameters i.e. Haemoglobin level, platelet count, Mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were analysed.Results: Haemoglobin and platelet count were significantly lower in the malaria infected group (p<0.001 in both cases). Conversely, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were higher in comparison to non-infected group (p<0.001). Severe to moderate anaemia was present in 78 %( n=122) of malaria infected patients against 47 %( n=33) of the non-infected group. Thrombocytopenia was present in 87 %( n=137) of the infected patients against 10 % (n=7) of the non-infected group. There was a positive correlation between anaemia and thrombocytopenia in malaria(r= 0.26, p<0.001). Conclusion: Low platelet count and Haemoglobin levels positively correlate and are important predictors of P .falciparum malaria. This could to avoid performing unnecessary expensive tests to rule out other febrile conditions. The above findings also have therapeutic implications of avoiding unnecessary platelet infusion in malaria. Keywords: thrombocytopenia, pseudo-thrombocytopenia, anaemia and haemoglobin.Afr J Health Sci. 2016; 29(2):76-8

Distinctive Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Serological Profile during Acute Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Episodes

The seroprevalence of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and the incidence of endemic Kaposi sarcoma (KS) overlap with regions of malaria endemicity in sub-Saharan Africa. Multiple studies have shown an increased risk of KSHV seroconversion in children from high malaria compared to low malaria regions; however, the impact of acute episodes of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria on KSHV’s biphasic life cycle and lytic reactivation has not been determined. Here, we examined KSHV serological profiles and viral loads in 134 children with acute malaria and 221 healthy children from high malaria regions in Kisumu, as well as 77 healthy children from low malaria regions in Nandi. We assayed KSHV, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and P. falciparum malaria antibody responses in these three by multiplexed Luminex assay. We confirmed that KSHV seroprevalence was significantly associated with malaria endemicity (OR = 1.95, 1.18–3.24 95% CI, p = 0.01) with 71–77% seropositivity in high-malaria (Kisumu) compared to 28% in low-malaria (Nandi) regions. Furthermore, KSHV serological profiles during acute malaria episodes were distinct from age-matched non-malaria-infected children from the same region. Paired IgG levels also varied after malaria treatment, with significantly higher anti-ORF59 at day 0 but elevated ORF38, ORF73, and K8.1 at day 3. Acute malaria episodes is characterized by perturbation of KSHV latency in seropositive children, providing further evidence that malaria endemicity contributes to the observed increase in endemic KS incidence in sub-Saharan Africa