title: Influence of age on the haemoglobin concentration of malaria-infected patients in a reference centre in the Brazilian Amazon.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andre M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Janieldo A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Shelia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vítor-Silva
authors.affiliation: Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reyes-Lecca
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Aline C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wuelton M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcia A A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alexandre
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Paula G
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.affiliation: Clinics Hospital, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guinovart
authors.affiliation: Clinics Hospital, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Quique
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bassat
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria das Graças C
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Alecrim
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcus V G
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Lacerda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006441:Hemoglobin A