title: Antioxidant status and acute malaria in children in Kampala, Uganda.
abstract: Although antioxidant status has been implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria, these factors need further characterization. A longitudinal study was conducted involving 273 children 1-10 years of age with acute, uncomplicated malaria in Kampala, Uganda. Plasma vitamin A, carotenoids, and vitamin E were measured at enrollment and on day 7. Malaria parasitemia was measured at enrollment, on day 3, and on day 7. Malaria parasitemia had completely cleared in 57.1% and 85.3% of children by day 3 and day 7, respectively. Plasma vitamin A, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and vitamin E were depressed at enrollment and increased by day 7. Multivariate analyses showed that higher plasma lycopene concentrations at enrollment were associated with clearance of parasitemia between enrollment and day 3 (odds ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-2.06, per 0.10 micromol/L of lycopene). This study suggests that children with acute malaria have depressed plasma concentrations of antioxidants, and that higher plasma lycopene is associated with more rapid clearance of malaria parasitemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mukasa
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ndeezi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melikian
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Semba
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood; D000077276:Lycopene; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein