Protein-energy malnutrition is a serious clinical condition with high
prevalence in areas where Plasmodium falciparum is highly endemic
such as western Kenya. There is a major need to determine the
relationship between PEM and malaria antibody profiles especially in an
area where malaria is endemic. The objective of this work, therefore,
was to determine the association between PEM and specific malaria
antibodies and the potential diagnostic value of the antibodies in
children aged between 5 and 59 months. Cross- sectional surveys as well
as analysis of sera for specific malaria antibodies were carried out at
Asembo Division, Bondo District, Kisumu County, Nyanza Province. A
total of sixty villages identified through random sampling with each
household as the sampling unit were used for data collection. Two
thousand, one hundred and twelve (2112) Children < 5 years of age
were sampled in three successive cross- sectional surveys: The first
survey included children < 3 years of age while the subsequent two
surveys included children < 5 years of age. Anthropometric
measurements were carried out followed by finger prick blood sample for
assay of antibodies in sera of the study children. Statistical
variables (Odds Ratio, at 95% CI) were determined using SPSS 11 and SAS
computer packages. Both Multivariate and Bivariate analyses were
carried out. Epi-info 2002 package was used to determine anthropometric
variables. Demographic variables and malaria parasite counts were
determined for all the children sampled. Circumsporozoite Surface
Protein (CSP) IgG antibody was found to be significantly associated
with stunting and underweight (p<0.05) but not with wasting. Liver
Stage Antigen (LSA) IgG antibody was significantly associated with
wasting only (p<0.05) while Merozoite Surface Protein (MSP) IgG
antibody was not significantly associated with any malnutrition state.
The mean concentration of CSP IgG was elevated in stunted, wasted and
underweight in comparison to controls. Liverstage antigen 1 IgG was
elevated in stunted children only as compared to controls, whereas MSP
IgG was low in all PEM cases as compared to controls. Specific
Plasmodium falciparum antibody profiles could accurately be used to
determine the association between malaria and Protein-Energy
Malnutrition