title: Influence of Plasmodium gametocyte carriage on the prevalence of fever, splenomegaly and cardiovascular parameters in children less than 15 years in the Mount Cameroon area: cross sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular parameters can be impaired by repeated infections with P. falciparum. This study aimed at investigating the influence of gametocyte carriage on; the prevalence of fever and splenomegaly, blood pressure, heart rate and haematological indices in children <15 years, in the Mount Cameroon area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out, from February to July 2013. A child with axillary body temperature ≥37.5 °C was considered febrile and splenomegaly was investigated by palpation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures as well as heart rate were assessed by non-invasive methods. Malaria parasites were detected and density assessed from Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood films. An auto haematology analyser was used to obtain complete blood count values such as haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH). Univariate analyses were used to examine influence of gametocyte carriage on fever and splenomegaly while, multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate influence of independent variables on the dependent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 454 children examined, malaria parasitaemia, fever, splenomegaly and gametocyte carriage were detected in 36.6, 21.6, 14.3 and 7.3 % of them respectively. Children who were asexual parasite and gametocyte positive (ASP + Gam Pos) had significantly highest (P = 0.03, P = 0.002) prevalence of fever and splenomegaly (39.4 %, 33.3 %) respectively than their aparasitaemic (AP) and asexual parasite positive (ASP Pos) equivalents (19.0 %, 10.9 % and 22.8 %, 16.9 % respectively). The presence of asexual malaria parasitaemia significantly influenced the MCV (P = 0.03), MCH (P = 0.03) and heart beats /min (0.03) while gametocytaemia significantly influenced the Hb (P < 0.001), Hct (P < 0.001), RBC (P < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gametocyte carriage significantly influenced the prevalence of fever, splenomegaly and some cardiovascular indices. In effect, children concurrently having asexual parasitaemia and gametocytes had significantly lower, Hct, Hb levels, RBC and platelet counts and systolic blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon. sumbelei@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Irene Ule Ngole
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Sumbele
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon. boresyl@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Orelien S Mtopi
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Bopda
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon. hkimbi@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Helen Kuokuo
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kimbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon. teh_ning@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Teh Rene
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon. wifon@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nkuo-Akenji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010976:Platelet Count; D015995:Prevalence; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins