Changes in White Blood Cells Differential Associated with Adult Malaria-Infected Patients

Aims: Malaria parasites are expected to impact the white blood cell differential of malaria patients, but reports on changes in white blood cell differentials of malaria patients are not well documented, hence this study was undertaken to determine changes in white blood cell differentials associated with male and female malaria patients.

Study Design: Twenty male and twenty female malaria patients were divided into four groups made up of ten malaria positive males (MPM), ten malaria negative males (MNM), ten malaria positive females (MPF) and ten malaria negative females (MNF).

Methodology: The hematological parameters were evaluated using automated full blood count Sysmex machine.

Results: The result of changes in white blood cell differential associated with male and female malaria patients showed an increase in lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), mixed cell count percentage (MXD%), neutrophil percentage (NEU%), lymphocyte absolute value (LYM#), mixed cell count absolute value (MXD#) and neutrophil absolute value (NEU#) of both malaria positive males and females compared to malaria negative males and females which were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study has shown that malaria parasite increased all white blood cell differential parameters significantly in male and female patients examined. White blood cell differential in adult malaria-infected patients are associated with an increase in white blood cell differential parameters irrespective of gender. Further studies should be carried out to determine the clinical relevance of this finding especially as it could assist in the diagnosis of malaria infection.