title: Impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on haematological parameters in children living in Western Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is the commonest cause of childhood morbidity in Western Kenya with varied haematological consequences. The t study sought to elucidate the haematological changes in children infected with malaria and their impact on improved diagnosis and therapy of childhood malaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Haematological parameters in 961 children, including 523 malaria-infected and 438 non-malaria infected, living in Kisumu West District, an area of malaria holoendemic transmission in Western Kenya were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following parameters were significantly lower in malaria-infected children; platelets, lymphocytes, eosinophils, red blood cell count and haemoglobin (Hb), while absolute monocyte and neutrophil counts, and mean platelet volume (MPV) were higher in comparison to non-malaria infected children. Children with platelet counts of <150,000/uL were 13.8 times (odds ratio) more likely to have malaria. Thrombocytopaenia was present in 49% of malaria-infected children and was associated with high parasitaemia levels, lower age, low Hb levels, increased MPV and platelet aggregate flag. Platelet aggregates were more frequent in malaria-infected children (25% vs. 4%, p<0.0001) and associated with thrombocytopaenia rather than malaria status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria exhibited important changes in some haematological parameters with low platelet count and haemoglobin concentration being the two most important predictors of malaria infection in children in our study area. When used in combination with other clinical and microscopy, these parameters could improve malaria diagnosis in sub-patent cases.
authors.affiliation: US Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya (Walter Reed Project), Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Maina
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Charla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaddy
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hongo
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waitumbi
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Otieno
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Bernhards R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Ogutu
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D001773:Blood Cells; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000453:epidemiology