Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Introduction. Malaria is a leading cause of mortality among children below 5 years in Ghana. Its parasites are known to cause the degradation of hemoglobin, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species and hence oxidant stress. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare the levels of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kwabena Nsiah, Bernard Bahaah, Bright Oppong Afranie, Simon Koffie, Emmanuel Akowuah, Sampson Donkor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Journal of Tropical Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8479076
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850173870205566976
author Kwabena Nsiah
Bernard Bahaah
Bright Oppong Afranie
Simon Koffie
Emmanuel Akowuah
Sampson Donkor
author_facet Kwabena Nsiah
Bernard Bahaah
Bright Oppong Afranie
Simon Koffie
Emmanuel Akowuah
Sampson Donkor
author_sort Kwabena Nsiah
collection DOAJ
description Introduction. Malaria is a leading cause of mortality among children below 5 years in Ghana. Its parasites are known to cause the degradation of hemoglobin, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species and hence oxidant stress. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare the levels of oxidative stress between children with complicated and uncomplicated malaria infection in Kumasi, Ghana. Method. Subjects were recruited from hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. This was a cross-sectional study, involving 17 complicated malaria subjects, 51 uncomplicated malaria subjects, and 15 nonparasitemic subjects. The rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was used to determine presence or absence of falciparum malaria among the study participants. Blood samples from subjects were used to determine hemoglobin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and vitamin C levels. Results. Majority of the subjects (67.5%) were within the age of 0-5 years. The mean age (±SD) of uncomplicated malaria subjects was 4.32 (±2.81) years, while that of complicated malaria was 4.27 (±2.96). Mean levels of HB decreased significantly in the following order: control subjects > uncomplicated malaria subjects > complicated malaria subjects (p<0.0001). Mean levels of MDA were significantly lower in control subjects compared to complicated malaria subjects (4.62±1.85 versus 6.68±0.70, p=0.0008) and also lowered in uncomplicated malaria subjects compared to complicated malaria (4.50±1.58 versus 6.68±0.70, p<0.0001). There was a statistically significant reduced mean level of vitamin C (p=0.036) in the following order: control subjects > uncomplicated malaria > complicated malaria subjects. However, for the complicated malaria cases, there were significantly higher mean vitamin C levels in females than in males (p<0.001). Conclusion. Malaria progression increases MDA levels and decreases the ascorbate (vitamin C) and hemoglobin levels. It is recommended that future studies should investigate changes in other antioxidant vitamins, like vitamins A and E.
format Article
id doaj-art-d42c91d2fc6c41919b8ba6fd3bfae895
institution OA Journals
issn 1687-9686
1687-9694
language English
publishDate 2019-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Journal of Tropical Medicine
spelling doaj-art-d42c91d2fc6c41919b8ba6fd3bfae8952025-08-20T02:19:45ZengWileyJournal of Tropical Medicine1687-96861687-96942019-01-01201910.1155/2019/84790768479076Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, GhanaKwabena Nsiah0Bernard Bahaah1Bright Oppong Afranie2Simon Koffie3Emmanuel Akowuah4Sampson Donkor5Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaIntroduction. Malaria is a leading cause of mortality among children below 5 years in Ghana. Its parasites are known to cause the degradation of hemoglobin, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species and hence oxidant stress. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare the levels of oxidative stress between children with complicated and uncomplicated malaria infection in Kumasi, Ghana. Method. Subjects were recruited from hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. This was a cross-sectional study, involving 17 complicated malaria subjects, 51 uncomplicated malaria subjects, and 15 nonparasitemic subjects. The rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was used to determine presence or absence of falciparum malaria among the study participants. Blood samples from subjects were used to determine hemoglobin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and vitamin C levels. Results. Majority of the subjects (67.5%) were within the age of 0-5 years. The mean age (±SD) of uncomplicated malaria subjects was 4.32 (±2.81) years, while that of complicated malaria was 4.27 (±2.96). Mean levels of HB decreased significantly in the following order: control subjects > uncomplicated malaria subjects > complicated malaria subjects (p<0.0001). Mean levels of MDA were significantly lower in control subjects compared to complicated malaria subjects (4.62±1.85 versus 6.68±0.70, p=0.0008) and also lowered in uncomplicated malaria subjects compared to complicated malaria (4.50±1.58 versus 6.68±0.70, p<0.0001). There was a statistically significant reduced mean level of vitamin C (p=0.036) in the following order: control subjects > uncomplicated malaria > complicated malaria subjects. However, for the complicated malaria cases, there were significantly higher mean vitamin C levels in females than in males (p<0.001). Conclusion. Malaria progression increases MDA levels and decreases the ascorbate (vitamin C) and hemoglobin levels. It is recommended that future studies should investigate changes in other antioxidant vitamins, like vitamins A and E.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8479076
spellingShingle Kwabena Nsiah
Bernard Bahaah
Bright Oppong Afranie
Simon Koffie
Emmanuel Akowuah
Sampson Donkor
Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
Journal of Tropical Medicine
title Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
title_full Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
title_fullStr Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
title_short Oxidative Stress and Hemoglobin Level of Complicated and Uncomplicated Malaria Cases among Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
title_sort oxidative stress and hemoglobin level of complicated and uncomplicated malaria cases among children a cross sectional study in kumasi metropolis ghana
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8479076
work_keys_str_mv AT kwabenansiah oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana
AT bernardbahaah oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana
AT brightoppongafranie oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana
AT simonkoffie oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana
AT emmanuelakowuah oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana
AT sampsondonkor oxidativestressandhemoglobinlevelofcomplicatedanduncomplicatedmalariacasesamongchildrenacrosssectionalstudyinkumasimetropolisghana