STM Article Repository

Background: Immune response to malaria parasitemia results from several biochemical and haematological changes that occur in this condition. Some of these changes earlier reported in parasitemic pregnant women in urban and rural malaria-endemic areas indicated different oxidative status of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Aim: This study was taken to assess the levels of some antioxidant vitamins in symptomatic malaria parasitemic pregnant women and relate it to the immune status of the patients, to re-appraise the need and extent of vitamin supplementations in this condition.

Methods: The study, which is cross-sectional, was done between September, 2011 and March, 2012 and involved 119 pregnant women aged between 24 and 36 years, who presented in antenatal clinics with full symptoms of malaria infection. Also, 40 age-matched apparently healthy pregnant women with similar dietary indices were used as controls. Malaria density was determined by absolute malaria parasite count while the vitamins (A, C and E) were estimated by spectrophotometric methods.

Results: The concentrations of the vitamins obtained from the study in controls, mild and moderate malaria densities were as follows; vitamin A – 16.48±0.75 µg/ml, 15.72±0.58 µg/ml and 16.19±1.40 µg/ml respectively, vitamin C – 31.31±0.97 mg/dL; 38.33±2.73 mg/dL and 52.17±4.38 mg/dL respectively and vitamin E – 0.89±0.09 mg/dL; 2.05±0.27 mg/dL and 3.32±0.23 mg/dL respectively. These results showed that there were no significant changes in vitamin A while vitamins C and E increased significantly as malaria density increased.

Conclusion: We opine that the changes are indications of increased endogenous mobilization of the vitamins as a result of extra oxidative stress and low immunity. We are also of the opinion that deficiencies of these antioxidants can potentiate the virulence of these parasites while reverse may be the case.