Lipid Profile and Electrolyte Level in Malaria Patients Attending Muhammadu Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the serum lipid profile and electrolyte level and their association with severity of malaria among patients attending Muhammadu Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria.

Methodology: Blood samples were obtained from four hundred (400) subjects: Two hundred and forty (240) pathological samples collected from malaria-infected patients and one hundred and sixty (160) from apparently healthy persons of the same age range with no evidence of malaria infection. Blood samples were screened for P. falciparum infection using both thin and thick film method, and severity of malaria was classified as described by World Health Organization. Also, the electrolyte (Na+, K+ and Cl-) level and lipid profile (TC, HDL-C, LDL, TAG and VLDL) were determined. Results were presented as Mean ± SD, evaluated by one-way ANOVA and the differences between the means assessed using Duncan's test. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05.

Results: From the results, there was significantly (P<0.05) higher levels of TC, LDL, TAG and VLDL and lower levels of HDL in malaria-infected patients compared to control group. The lipid fragments (TC, LDL, TAG and VLDL) increased significantly (P<0.05) with an increase in severity, while HDL decreased significantly (P<0.05). Also, there was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the levels of Na+ and K+ while Cl- was not significantly (P>0.05) different in malaria-infected and control patients.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that characteristic serum lipid profile and electrolyte changes occur during malaria, hence the need to correct these derangements is of great significance in the management of malaria infection.