Influence of age on the haemoglobin concentration of malaria-infected patients in a reference centre in the Brazilian Amazon

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz

Andre M Siqueira¹  Janieldo A Cavalcante¹  Shelia Vítor-silva¹  Roberto C Reyes-lecca¹  Aline C Alencar¹  Wuelton M Monteiro¹  Márcia Aa Alexandre¹  Mourão Maria Paula G¹  Caterina Guinovart¹  Quique Bassat¹  Maria Das Graças C Alecrim¹  Marcus Vg Lacerda¹ 

关键词: malaria;    anaemia;    haemoglobin;    Plasmodium vivax;    Plasmodium falciparum;   

DOI  :  10.1590/0074-0276140132

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Anaemia is amongst the major complications of malaria, a major public health problem in the Amazon Region in Latin America. We examined the haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations of malaria-infected patients and compared it to that of malaria-negative febrile patients and afebrile controls. The haematological parameters of febrile patients who had a thick-blood-smear performed at an infectious diseases reference centre of the Brazilian Amazon between December 2009-January 2012 were retrieved together with clinical data. An afebrile community control group was composed from a survey performed in a malaria-endemic area. Hb concentrations and anaemia prevalence were analysed according to clinical-epidemiological status and demographic characteristics. In total, 7,831 observations were included. Patients with Plasmodium falciparum infection had lower mean Hb concentrations (10.5 g/dL) followed by P. vivax-infected individuals (12.4 g/dL), community controls (12.8 g/dL) and malaria-negative febrile patients (13.1 g/dL) (p < 0.001). Age, gender and clinical-epidemiological status were strong independent predictors for both outcomes. Amongst malaria-infected individuals, women in the reproductive age had considerably lower Hb concentrations. In this moderate transmission intensity setting, both vivax and falciparum malaria are associated with reduced Hb concentrations and risk of anaemia throughout a wide age range.

【 授权许可】

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